First Advisor

Karen Haley

Term of Graduation

Summer 2024

Date of Publication

7-8-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership: Postsecondary Education

Department

Educational Leadership and Policy

Language

English

Physical Description

1 online resource (vi, 188 pages)

Abstract

Traditional commercial textbooks used in postsecondary courses are often problematic due to their rigidity, tendency to mirror the dominant culture, and the substantial cost imposed upon students. Although replacing these texts with open educational resources (OER) can facilitate more equitable and inclusive pedagogical practices while removing a significant expense, there has been insufficient research surrounding instructors' experience of transitioning from a commercial textbook to OER course materials. Through semi-structured interviews with nine postsecondary instructors who teach with OER course materials, this basic qualitative study explores the experience of that transition. The findings indicate that adopting OER is a challenging and complex endeavor, and that the advantages associated with OER extend far beyond the cost savings for students. Transitioning from commercial textbooks to OER can improve student retention and ensure more equitable access to course materials. Teaching with OER materials can facilitate instructors' efforts to engage their students in transformative learning experiences through incorporating multiple perspectives, teaching more inclusively, and enhancing student engagement. Notably, when institutions support engagement in OER work, faculty outcomes can include improvement in job performance, job satisfaction, and retention. Thus, the results of this study have significant implications for faculty who are using or considering OER, as well as for institutional leaders and decision-makers who may shape support for OER initiatives.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/42527

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