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The Good, The Bad and The Difficult.The Ease, The Struggleand The Confidence

Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Open Educational

Resources (OER)

Lars AntonsenSkagit Valley College

Attributes (The Good) • Costs are Reduced

• Cost savings for learners• Free or inexpensive copies of textbooks• Institutional costs (tuition) can be

reduced• Institutional costs reduced (less

classroom and campus space required)

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Attributes (The Good) • Can reach a broader audience• Social and economic barriers can be reduced• Education and learning can take

precedence over institutional financial gain. The class system evidenced in education, job opportunities, advancement and personal growth can be reduced.

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Attributes (The Good) • Roadblocks to continued education are

reduced for learners• Availability of education is increased• Physical location of institution not an issue• Flexible schedule

• Learner friendly• Can be paced to match learners abilities and speed of learning

• Learners can explore a subject with little commitment.

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Attributes (The Good) • Creates better courses and can improve the

quality of instruction• Helps you find creative methods of addressing you subject

• Can breathe new life into your old stale course• Allows you to find multiple methods of delivery on a subject that cover different learning styles. • Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic

• Increases your ability to work on expanding your own knowledge at your own pace in within your time schedule.

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Attributes (The Good) • Even more benefits!

• Course material can be referenced after course completion for better retention.

• Easier for individuals and institutions to receive recognition for their work and contributions to the learning community.

• Allows for quick and responsive changes with changing information.

• Community knowledge and peer review creates better quality and more accurate educational materials.

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The Challenges (The Struggle)• Quality Assurance 

• Many on-line resources are available. • Determination of quality is questionable.• Quality of learning largely dependent upon the motivation and ability of the learner.

• It is difficult to determine if the learner can apply the knowledge (book smart vs. the practical application)

• A lack of research that identifies the quality of learning.

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The Challenges (The Struggle)• Sustainability of OER 

• Maintenance of the OER system is dependent upon:• Continued contributions• Updated material replacing outdated or obsolete material.

• Contributors finding the motivation to remain involved.

• Financial resources • Community and educational institutions providing support, both in time and financially for course development. • Adjunct pay for course development

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The Challenges (The Struggle)• There is a lack of public and institutional

understanding about the benefits of OER • Attitudes and assumptions about on-line education and the role of self learning as it fits within institutional education• Quality• Control• Institutional finances• Protection of jobs• Protection of course ownership• Shifting roles as an educator

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The Challenges (The Struggle)• Time

• Finding resources • Sorting resources • Evaluating resources• Plentiful and multiple resources that cover broad fields of interest.

• No single search source. Surfing resources eats time.

• A plethora of basic resources and a diminished amount of upper level resources

• Additional time required to build and provide attributes

10"Time" by stefanos papachristou is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

The Ease, The Confidence• Resources are growing• Many universities have made their

courses publically available. • Your work will be identified and you will

receive recognition• No worries about copyright infringement• Allowances are modifications are made

and are easily identifiable. • Compare and contrast your work with

peers.• Feel confident that you have addressed

your subject and coursework clearly!11

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4.0 International License.