Resources on Equity

What is Equity?

 

According to the Glossary of Education Reform Links to an external site., equity refers to the principle of fairness in education. Inequities occur when biased or unfair policies, programs, practices, or situations contribute to a lack of equality in educational performance, results, andoutcomes.  The development and use of open educational resources has the potential to create equitable learning experiences for all students.  Open education is deeply rooted in the belief that teachers have the freedom to develop content that meets the needs of their students. ("How OER can Support Student Equity and Diversity" Links to an external site. by CCCOER Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.)

Research in OER and Equity

Here are some resources that show how OER is making education more equitable:

  • This study by the University of Georgia Links to an external site. shows that while OER positively impacted all students, it had a greater influence on students that are historically underserved.Key Findings
    Equity Study by University of Georgia

    OER vs. commercial

    Change in Grade 

    Change in DFW Rates

    All Students

    +8.65%

    -2.68%

    Non-pell eligible

    +7.4%

    -2%

    Pell eligible

    +12.3%

    -4.4%

    Non-white

    +13%

    -5%

    Part-time

    +28%

    -10%

 Research reports and some key takeaways from each about the issues of textbook affordability:

  • Covering the Costs: Why We Can No Longer Afford to Ignore High Textbook Prices Links to an external site. by Ethan Senack & Rober Donoghue; The Student Public Interest Research Groups (February 2016)
    • Key Takeaways:
      • Textbook costs increased at over four times the rate of inflation (some books may cost asmuch as $400)
      • Five major publishers control 80% of the market
      • Students have no choice over the textbook that they are assigned
      • Surveyed nearly 5,000 students
        • 7% of students use financial aid to pay for textbooks (which translates to 5.2 million undergraduate students in the U.S.)
        • High textbook prices disproportionately impact community college students (50% of these student used their financial aid for textbooks)
        • Students using loans pay $34.72 for a $150 textbook
        • Enrolled students are spending $3.15 billion a year of financial aid on textbooks in the U.S.
        • If every undergraduate students had just one textbook replaced with an open textbook, it would save students over $1 billion a year.
  • Fixing the Broken Textbook Market: How Students Respond to High Textbook Costs and Demand Alternatives Links to an external site. by Ethan Sendack; U.S. Public Interest Research Groups and The Student Public Interest Research Groups (January 2014)
    • Key Takeaways:
      • 2,039 students from 150 different university campuses across the country were surveyed
      • 65% of students don’t buy a book because it is expensive
        • 94% of those students were concerned that doing so would hurt their grade
      • Almost half of the students said that textbook cost affected how many/which classes they enroll in
      • 82% felt they would do better in a course where the textbook was available for free

 

 

Here are some organizations that are advocating for OER for equity:

  • The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) advocates for the use of OER to promote high quality education for all students in this resolution Links to an external site..

 

Past Presentations and Webinars on OER and Equity

Here is what others have to share about OER and Equity: