- Higher education costs have risen dramatically in recent decades, putting college out of reach for many students. Open educational resources (OER) provide an opportunity to lower costs while maintaining or improving educational outcomes.
- Research has found that students using open textbooks have lower withdrawal rates, higher pass rates, and are more likely to enroll in subsequent semesters compared to similar students using traditional textbooks. This can help address the barrier of cost and improve access and success.
- While open textbooks save students money, open pedagogies focus on empowering students as creators and sharers of knowledge. This shifts education away from a "banking" model where students are passive receivers toward one where they actively participate in knowledge creation.