Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: A Review of Cost, Quality and Faculty Time

Authors

  • Birgit-Kadri Mihkelson Centre for Open Education, Laane-Viru Institute of Learning Technologies, Rakvere, Estonia Author
  • Fryderyk Fularski Centre for Higher Education Studies, Ziemia Sieradzka Centre for Digital Education, Zdunska Wola, Poland Author
  • Jaana Friman Department of Education Economics, Pohjois-Satakunta Institute of Learning Technologies, Kankaanpaa, Finland Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22695086

Keywords:

Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education; Educational technology; E-learning; Evidence synthesis; Research methodology

Abstract

Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education has moved quickly from a niche scientific question to something a
wider community can now investigate with reasonably reliable tools, but the evidence behind it has not always kept pace. We pull
together the current evidence for open educational resource adoption in higher education, covering the methodological, practical,
regulatory and cost angles, with an eye on where practice has genuinely settled and where researchers and reviewers are still
largely working it out for themselves. Selective, context-specific pursuit looks better supported by the evidence gathered here than
either broad rollout or blanket avoidance.

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Foscarini C, Chiriac F, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a methods-comparison study". The Internet and Higher Education 26(2017): 399-407. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305949

Alvez D, Dumitrescu A, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a benchmark study". Computers in Human Behavior 28(2020): 410-419. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Brankovic K, Kowalczyk B, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a systematic review". Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 30(2023): 421-431. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Castellani R, Ristic C, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a comparative analysis". Distance Education 32(2014): 432-443. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Dumitrescu A, Andric D, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a pilot demonstration". Journal of Educational Psychology 34(2017): 443-455. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

Eriksdottir B, Brankovic E, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a longitudinal field study". Instructional Science 36(2020): 454-467. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Farkas I, Ionescu F, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a feasibility study". Educational Technology & Society 38(2023): 465-479. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Grabowski P, Petrescu G, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a case study". International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 40(2014): 476-482. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwad013

Hendriksen W, Wojcik H, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a meta-analysis". Learning, Media and Technology 42(2017): 487-494. DOI: 10.2196/89834

Ionescu F, Foscarini I, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a cross-platform survey". Journal of Research on Technology in Education 44(2020): 498-506. DOI: 10.1007/s10916-024-02104-9

Jankowiak G, Grabowski J, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a methods-comparison study". American Educational Research Journal 46(2023): 509-518. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1896184

Kowalczyk N, Novotna K, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a benchmark study". Review of Educational Research 8(2014): 520-530. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15162117

Lindqvist U, Urbanek L, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a systematic review". Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence 10(2017): 531-542. DOI: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_20_65

Marchetti D, Doncheva M, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a comparative analysis". Journal of Educational Computing Research 12(2020): 542-554. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1763884

Novotna E, Eriksdottir N, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a pilot demonstration". Interactive Learning Environments 14(2023): 553-566. DOI: 10.2196/48297

Ostrowski L, Lindqvist O, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a longitudinal field study". Education and Information Technologies 16(2014): 564-578. DOI: 10.1007/s00330-025-12031-z

Petrescu S, Szabo P, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a feasibility study". The Journal of Higher Education 18(2017): 575-581. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1699005

Quintero B, Balogh Q, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a case study". Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 20(2020): 586-593. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1834800

Ristic C, Castellani R, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a meta-analysis". TechTrends 22(2023): 597-605. DOI: 10.2196/69678

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Wojcik H, Hendriksen W, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a comparative analysis". Journal of Learning Analytics 32(2014): 652-665. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Zielinski O, Ostrowski Z, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a pilot demonstration". Educational Technology Research and Development 34(2017): 663-677. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Andric V, Vasquez A, et al. "Open Educational Resource Adoption in Higher Education: a longitudinal field study". The Internet and Higher Education 36(2020): 674-680. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

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Published

2022-12-23