Abstract: There is growing momentum among higher education institutions to participate in a movement to provide free and open access to educational materials called OpenCourseWare (OCW). The purpose of this study was to follow OCW projects at several higher education institutions from their genesis through the completion of their project. Findings from the study fell into three categories: phases of an OCW implementation, facilitators of and barriers to OCW adoption, and organizational roles affected by adoption or that influence adoption. This study demonstrates a pathway for institutions that wish to participate in the OpenCourseWare movement. The impact on learning, especially in developing areas, will be increasingly significant as more programs share their educational resources in a free and open manner.