The economy, political agendas, and technology advances have greatly influenced
institutions of higher education. The students these institutions serve may feel insecure as a result
of economic hardship and an unstable political arena. However, today’s students are
experiencing a time in the history of education that has been filled with technological innovation.
Barriers to education are being removed through transformative distribution of educational
resources. There is a renewed sense of a global society as technological breakthroughs engage
people of all nations in a collaborative effort to educate one another. As a result, open
educational resources (OER) – educational materials that may be used by anyone, anywhere, and
at no cost – are increasingly becoming available for a wide range of disciplines. The inclusion of
OER into the regular curriculum of higher education courses is in a phase of growth. Higher
education continually strives to provide a quality education while keeping the student financial
burden as low as possible. During this phase of OER implementation consideration of the
perceptions held by students related to their educational experience is essential. There are many
dynamics that contribute to perceptions; this study took into consideration six facets that may
influence a person’s perception of OER.