Category
Open Educational Resources (OER)
The main focus of the publication is Open Educational Resources (OER). OEP can also be tagged if it shares the primary purpose.
Open Educational Resources (OER) Research Database
Our Research
The OER Research Database provides a free and easily accessible venue for locating research and formal literature on the use of open educational resources and practices. Learn about our research on the OER landscape of literature here.
What sets this work apart from a standard database search? The robust research behind the archive of publications.
OER Research Database Stats
1050+
Publications in the database (so far)
31
Qualitative codes
80%
Interrater reliability
Our Coding Scheme
We have not only collected, collated, and provided APA-style references for all publications but also implemented a robust qualitative methodology to code every publication included in the database. Each publication is coded with categories, subgroups, and themes.
Starting with a sample of 116 publications, our team of researchers engaged in both deductive and inductive coding. Categories and subgroups were coded deductively based on prior research and theory, such as AAC&U's PEARL database. Themes emerged from the literature inductively, beginning with the initial sample of 116 publications, and then were refined, as needed, as the database grew.
We measured interrater reliability at 80% for this first sample of 116.
Subgroups
Subgroup
Descriptive
An argument for the use of OER/OEP. May make an argument around theory, presents data from other findings but no original data, or presents an example of OER/OEP in use that is are descriptive in nature. No original data.
Subgroup
Empirical, Outcomes
Presents original data on relevant outcomes, which can include many possible constructs and data points. Can also include research on pedagogical practices focused on improving OER implementation or OER quality.
Subgroup
Empirical, Affective
Presents original data, quantitative and/or qualitative, addressing the students’, instructors’, or other stakeholders’ thoughts, feelings, and opinions about OER/OEP.
Subgroup
Empirical, Assessment and Evaluation
Presents original data, qualitative and/or quantitative, on assessment related to OER/OEP resources (e.g., quality) or some other assessment or evaluation (e.g., evaluation of program/initiatives, needs assessments).
Subgroup
Policy/Legal Document
Legal documents (e.g., bills, legislation) focused on OER and/or OEP.
Subgroup
Dataset
Datasets focused on OER and/or OEP (e.g., a dataset including information about OER courses at an institution).
Subgroup
Edited Book
Edited books that include chapters with different authors. The chapters are individually coded for themes, so the overall edited book is included as a separate subgroup.
Themes
Concerns access in multiple forms, such as accessibility for individuals with disabilities or who lack resources, as well as around student or instructor engagement (e.g., counting clicks of users accessing OER).
The main focus is on affordability, cost savings, the financial landscape more broadly, or a similar topic. The topic can be for research or is purely descriptive in nature.
Includes a discussion or study of artificial intelligence usage in OER/OEP.
The OER of focus is some form of an assessment (e.g., VALUE rubrics) or, for example, the publication focuses on methods for assessing OER quality or an assessment of an OER initiative.
Copyright and/or licensing of OER, such as using Creative Commons licenses or the implications of copyright and licensing is discussed.
Course tagging or some form of course marking for OER, OEP, low-cost, zero-cost, and so on, is a key topic.
Creating, revising, or remixing OER is a focus of the publication.
A variety of outcomes focused on all types of faculty in higher education or K-12 education, such as full-time, part-time, tenure-line, non-tenure-track, instructors, adjunct faculty, fixed-term faculty, graduate teaching assistants, preservice teachers working as instructors in practical experiences, and so on. These outcomes are not faculty perceptions, thoughts, or opinions but include other data sources, like tenure and promotion, frequency of faculty use/clicks, measure of motivation, and so on.
Information/data about instructors, faculty, and administrators' perceptions, opinions, and thoughts about OER and/or OEP are collected and described. "Faculty" can include all types of faculty in higher education or K-12 education, such as full-time, part-time, tenure-line, non-tenure-track, instructors, adjunct faculty, fixed-term faculty, graduate teaching assistants, preservice teachers working as instructors in practical experiences, and so on.
The publication is designed to be a guide, lesson/course, or list of best practices intended for the reader as a resource.
Describes OER/OEP initiatives, aspects of those initiatives, quality of those aspects, implementation details/perceptions, and so on.
The focus is on instructional design writ large or individuals in instructional support roles, like instructional designers (and similar).
Either K-12 is the focus or includes K-12 as part of the population discussed or studied.
Librarians are the main focus/audience.
These publications include some form of publication that makes a case or argument for OER use, initiatives, benefits of OER, and so on.
Deals with various forms of open courseware or open universities more broadly. Often open universities outside of the US, MIT-like repositories, or even a bridge from informal to formal learning.
The focus is on pedagogy, such as assessing or studying OER-related pedagogy or describing a pedagogical method or practice focused on OER/OEP.
A main topic concerns current policy, policy changes, making a case for policy changes, or developing new policies focused on OER/OEP.
Includes discussions of or research into the quality of (a) an OER, (b) OER initiatives/programs, and/or (c) open educational pedagogy and practices.
Social justice and ideas like cultural responsiveness are key themes. These could be study outcomes, theoretical arguments, best practices, and more.
Outcomes focused on students around their experience with OER/OEP. This includes a wide variety of outcomes, such as measures of performance/achievement, cost-savings, retention, completion, DFW rates, graduation rates, throughput, motivation (e.g., self-efficacy, belongingness, autonomy), learner agency, satisfaction, number of clicks/engagement, access, course selection, recruitment, and so on. This does not include outcomes related to students' self-reported perceptions, opinions, thoughts, or feelings.
Students' self-reported perceptions, thoughts, feelings, or opinions about OER and/or OEP, typically measured in a research study and relating to OER/OEP generally or a specific aspect of OER/OEP.
Includes an aspect or multiple aspects of technology as one or more key topic, which can include things like a platform for accessing OER or a repository of OER. The focus is typically on the technology in use/being developed/being revised.
Thanks to the Hewlett Foundation
The development of this OER Research Database has been supported by generous funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as part of a grant titled, "Establishing Compelling Evidence for OER as a Completion and Learning Strategy for Higher Education.”
Questions about this project?
Reach out to the research team via Heather Miceli at [email protected].