When students have access to textbooks by or before the first day of class, rather than waiting until they receive financial aid, they are more likely to succeed in the course. Studies have shown that students grades and lesson engagement were the same or better in courses using customized OER (Lindshield and Adhikari 2013; Robinson et al. 2014).
Lower or zero textbook costs
According to the Education Data Initiative, in 2021, average yearly textbook costs were over $1,200.
Students do not have to pay for digital access to open resources. This money saved can go towards students' other educational or basic needs expenses.
Tailored and targeted curriculum
Because OER can be revised and remixed, instructors can add to, subtract from, and piece together existing OER to create materials that are tailored to students' unique learning needs.
DEIA
By remixing open resources, instructors can help students "see themselves" in the examples used.
Up-to-date
Instructors can tailor examples to mirror current events and make materials relevant to their students' lives.
Significant historical changes can be more easily changed and republished by both the original author and the instructor who is revising the materials.
Lifelong learning
Students have ongoing access to educational materials
