Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice Volume 7, Number 2, 2019 | Page 21

Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice
textbooks degrees.” This is a market differentiator
that should help make APUS
graduate degrees not only more appealing
but also more affordable. With many
Z-degree graduate-level programs in
place, several additional programs are
nearing completion. For example, the
master’s programs in Management, Political
Science, Environmental Management
& Policy, International Relations,
and Public Policy are now Z-degrees.
Preliminary Results
Regarding DFWI rates, the initial limited
data indicate that courses with materials
converted to OERs have somewhat
mixed results in terms of student
satisfaction. Some students do not like
the change from the single-download
e-texts to which they may have grown
accustomed. To address this, APUS is
currently investigating various e-publication
platforms that may permit
students’ note-taking and highlighting
capabilities. However, other feedback
is positive, and many students express
approval for changes to OER course
materials.
The research on student learning
is growing. Colvard et al. (2018)
documented studies showing that OER
conversions lead to higher final grades.
However, Colvard et al. (2018) also
reviewed studies suggesting resulting
lower grades, and other studies showed
no significant difference. Brannum and
Drumhiller (2017/2018) described the
social justice perspective and equity
issues at stake in an institution’s commitment
to OER course conversion.
Brannum and Drumhiller (2017/2018)
wrote that they viewed moving to OER
materials as an opportunity “to help
lower-income students receive the
same access to educational materials
as wealthier classmates” (p. 43). APUS
continues to collect data and monitor
the efficacy of the project, and is currently
conducting a research study on
student performance and attitudes in
courses recently converted to OERs.
In addition, APUS closely monitors
DFWI rates and has yet to detect
any significant increases in converted
courses. The APUS Institutional Research
department stated:
As a whole, we have seen an
overall decrease in DFWI rates
across the university, and at
a high level, it doesn’t appear
that changing course materials
to OER materials has had a
negative impact on these rates.
The [table below] shows the
6-month period prior to the
material changes to OERs, and
then the launch month and following
5 starts. (Personal communication,
September 5, 2018)
Table 2: Average Course DFWI Rate
10