OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES(OER)

Challenges

And

Benefits

Created by Michael McComas using tools learned in this course.

5 CHALLENGES MOVING FORWARD

1 Change (Faculty adapting to)2 Time3 Revenue4 Learning copyright issues5 Students also have to adjust to change

“The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” Change is always a challenge and can be even more of a challenge when the faculty member has to start looking at resources at the micro level, not just the macro level(Publishers, etc.).

Created by Sean MacEntee CC BY 2.0

!. Faculty Change

2. Time

It takes quite a bit of time to do the research and find all the resources needed to teach a class with OER’s. It also takes time to make sure links and resources remain available for students.

CCO 1.0

Bookstores are a money source for the college and moving away from student spending at the bookstore effects the college. It might not be a great amount, but must be a consideration in changing how we do things.

3. Revenue

CC BY-NC_SA 2.0

Faculty must have continued training to understand laws and regulations about copyright, fair use, public domain, and Creative Commons. Training can’t be a one shot thing and expect faculty to follow all the rules and regulations.

4. Copyright Issues

5. Student adjustment

Students must also be able to adjust as they no longer just go to bookstore and get materials, often they have to find them at different places at different times during the courses.

Created by VkmandharCC BY-SA 3.0

BENEFITS FROM USING OER1. Decrease in educational costs for students

2. Increased student retention

3. Increased faculty-curriculum materials interaction

4. Positive public relation/marketing tool

5. Increased societal benefit from lower student debt

CC BY-SA 2.0

Providing students with Open Source Resources can cut costs significantly for students and can even make the difference in going to college or not for some students.

1. Decreased educational costs for students

CC BY-SA 3.0

The fact that OER’s need to be constantly evaluated and re-evaluated forces faculty to be more involved in the collection and evaluation of the course material instead of allowing the publisher to determine the material in the course and/or book. It also can provide newer and fresher material in a more timely manner.

2. Increased faculty-curriculum materials interaction

Posted by Aleposta CC BA-SA 3.0

The availability of free course resources can lead to improved student retention. Often students get behind while waiting for financial aid or money from other sources and even up dropping classes or withdrawing from school

3. Retention

4. Positive public relation/marketing tool

created by Tara Hunt CC BY-SA 2.0

More and more colleges are marketing costs differentials with their competitors and book costs can be a big savings.

5. Increased societal benefit from lower student debt Economy In Crisis Cc by-nc 3.0

There has been a lot written lately about the burden of student loan debt here in the states. Decreasing cost not only allows more to attend college, it also can significantly decrease student loan burdens on students and our economy.