Preliminary Evidence on the Effect of an Open-Source Textbook in Second-Year Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Courses

The use of open-source materials is growing in popularity throughout higher education. This Communication investigates the impact on student performance in a second-year undergraduate analytical chemistry course when an open-source textbook is assigned. For two separate semesters, approximately 80 students were enrolled in such a course across five sections. Both student populations had no statistically significant difference across a variety of demographic comparisons, and both achieved a nearly identical average score on the ACS Analytical Chemistry exam provided as the final cumulative test in both semesters. Thus, no detrimental effect was observed when transitioning a course to an open-source textbook, while providing the advantage of utilizing a more affordable option for students amid the overall rising cost of higher education.