Does the Rising Tide of OER Lift All Boats?

While open education resources (OER) have grown in popularity over the last few years, few researchers have considered the benefits of OER adoption beyond student satisfaction and performance. Pursuant to Stakeholder Theory and Expectancy Theory, direct benefits for different stakeholder groups may motivate further OER adoption behavior. Using a quasi-experimental research design, I evaluated the effect of OER adoption on multiple student outcomes, perceptions of instructors, and benefits for higher education institutions. I found student satisfaction, perceptions of quality, and academic dishonesty were significantly related to OER adoption. While relationships to the other outcomes, notably of direct instructor benefits, were not supported, further understanding of how to connect benefits to decision-makers is discussed.