National Survey Shows Higher Education Faculty Embracing Digital And Open Educational Resources (OER)

Bay View Analytics

OER as required materials continues to grow in higher education courses

Results show growth for both OER awareness and use in higher education

OAKLAND, CA, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2025 /EINPresswire / -- The latest 2024-25 survey results from Bay View Analytics reveal a continued shift towards digital resources in higher education classrooms. The data show that faculty are increasingly adopting online courses and digital materials, with significant growth in the use of Open Educational Resources (OER).

The survey, which collected responses from over 3,400 faculty members across the United States, found that:
.Digital resources remain a staple in higher education classrooms, with no significant changes in trends from last year.
.The number of faculty teaching fully online courses has increased to 48%, up from 40% last year. This represents a growing trend towards online learning, which is likely driven by the flexibility and accessibility it offers students.

In terms of textbook availability, the survey found that almost all textbooks are now available digitally to students. This shift towards digital materials is consistent with previous years' results, indicating a sustained move away from print-only textbooks.

The use of OER has also seen significant growth, with:
.49% of faculty reporting using OER materials in at least one course, up from 41% last year.
.One-third of faculty now report using OER as required course materials, an increase from 26% last year. This represents a growing recognition among faculty of the benefits and value of OER.

Furthermore, the survey found that faculty ratings of OER materials remain high, with more“A” grades being awarded to OER compared to commercial publishers. This suggests that not only is the use of OER increasing, but also its perceived quality and effectiveness. The survey also found that awareness of OER has risen slightly this year, with more faculty reporting knowledge of OER and its benefits.

According to Dr. Julia Seaman, Research Director at Bay View Analytics,“The results show that higher education faculty are settling into a new normal with regards to teaching online and perceptions of digital materials. While there may be some fluctuations from year to year, the overall trend is clear: digital resources, and OER specifically, are becoming increasingly important in higher education.”

For more information, results from this report will be presented at an Online Learning Consortium webinar titled“Inside the Faculty Mind: Attitude and Use of Digital and Open Materials” on September 10, 2025, at 1:00-2:00PM ET. Registration is free and available here: .

The complete report, which includes detailed data and analysis, can be downloaded from the Bay View Analytics website at .

These results are part of an annual survey of educators conducted by Bay View Analytics, tracking curricula adoption decisions in higher education in the U.S. The project is supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Online Learning Consortium. The complete report has been released under a Creative Commons license and is available for download at . The entire series of reports for this project and for reports on K-12 are available on the OER section of the Bay View Analytics webpage: .

About Bay View Analytics
Bay View Analytics is a statistical research firm focusing on survey design, implementation and analysis. The scope of Bay View Analytics' consulting engagements includes scientific statistical analyses, clinical trial statistics, and survey designs for a range of topics, with a particular focus on online education. Bay View Analytics has been conducting research and publishing reports on the state of online education in U.S. higher education for twenty years. Visit for more information or contact us at ....

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