Implementation of Open Educational Resources to Foster Student Accessibility and Learning Opportunities

With the rise of technological advancements, various methods are being incorporated to increase accessibility for student material and content within the classroom, including initiatives to foster inclusive learning environments and access to learning opportunities. Open Educational Resources (OER), which include course materials that reside in digital or other mediums that reside in a public domain or under an open license that allows for use, adaptation, and redistribution with limited or no restrictions (Smith & Elder, 2022). Despite the apparent benefits of OER usage, there are limited classroom studies and research, in the United States specifically, to show the beneficial implementation practices and long-term benefits. Through the study of various peer-reviewed articles and journals as well as government hearings on the topic, it is evident that OER is becoming more prevalent within educational institutions as an alternative framework for student accessibility, providing students with low-cost access to necessary resources and course materials. Currently, several states in the U.S. have taken on initiatives to promote and enforce legislation and policies that incorporate OER usage into the classroom as a way to allow all students opportunities to access their learning. With this research synthesis, it can be suggested that OER enables educators to create and adapt relevant course materials in an online format that impacts student access and achievement through the increase of learning opportunities within the educational setting.