Last week I wrote that we should stop saying “high quality” when discussing learning materials. Some have questioned whether or not that’s true. It is true, and here’s why. The problem with the phrase “high quality” as used by traditional publishers is that it puts process over outcome. If publishers were basketball players, they would say, “When I … Read more

Recently the phrase “high quality” has come up several times in discussions of educational materials, and I’ve been surprised what a strong, negative reaction I’ve been having each time I heard the word. After some reflection I think the reason the phrase gets my goat is that “high quality” sounds like it’s dealing with a core issue, … Read more

For several years my colleagues and I have been conducting and reviewing empirical research on the impact on student outcomes when OER are adopted in place of commercial materials. Suffice it to say the research results are highly variable. Some studies of OER adoption show essentially no change in student outcomes. Many of these studies … Read more