Open educational resources (OER) are often presented as
a way for college students to save money. The discussion should perhaps focus
on how OER can keep students in class.
Many studies report that some students put off buying
textbooks because of cost. When that happens, they often fall behind in their
assignments, which can lead them to withdraw from the institution. Matt Reed,
vice president for academic affairs, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA,
said he believes OER should be considered a retention solution, since having
course materials at little or no cost would contribute to student success.
Institutions will still have to find affordable ways to
put larger electronic devices in the hands of all students, but Reed is optimistic
it’s an issue that can resolved.
“I can’t help but think that the device issue is much
more solvable than, say, the political opposition to free community college,” Reed
wrote in his Inside Higher Ed blog.
“And the payoff isn’t merely economic. Students who have class materials from
day one are likelier to succeed academically than students who don’t. This is
an economic issue, but it’s also a retention issue. And it’s one we can solve
without waiting for the political winds to shift.”