OERBenefits

&Challenges

By: C. Blaise MitsutamaApril 1, 2017CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0

OER Benefits1. Reduces the cost of course content for students, possibly

resulting in higher completion and retention rates

2. Reduces the risk of copyright infringement to faculty and institutions

3. Encourages cross-pollination in course design and content

4. Students as well as instructors can modify course material, and this can become a course activity

5. Gives instructors flexibility in combining course elements

OER Challenges1. Finding content in a specific discipline at the appropriate

level of difficulty2. Converting OER content to the formats you use or your

institution’s Learning Management System (LMS)3. Time required to search for, review, and modify course

content4. Developing a manageable plan to update content5. Institutional and student acceptance of customized material

not published by a traditional publisher