This article examines from an economic perspective the ways in which Open Educational Resources (OER) can be linked to economic growth, equality of access to knowledge, and the improvement of teaching and learning. In leading economies, technology and knowledge are the critical factors of economic growth, which is a significant shift from the neo-classical economic view, which identified labor and capital as the critical inputs for growth. The shift helps to explain why some developing economies, even with mass amounts of labor and capital, lack access to the knowledge and expertise necessary to create the technological infrastructure needed to compete in the world knowledge economy. This article focuses on economic and teaching and learning issues: the benefits, barriers, and other economic questions about OER. The question is then addressed: Is OER a disruptive innovation? With respect to certain targets, like open textbooks, disruption is likely to be true. However, it is highly unlikely that making high-quality educational content freely available competes with traditional school structures and higher education. OER could alleviate a gap not currently being filled by traditional constraints. (Contains 2 figures and 12 footnotes.)