CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

The Benefits & Challenges of OER SARAH L. IANNELLI FOR OER101CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

What Are OER?

OER stands for Open Educational Resources OER can take many forms such as

textbooksvideoscourse materialslectures

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

What Does “Open” Mean?

The materials are free to use (no cost)

No permission is required to use the materials

Released under an open license, e.g., Creative CommonsOR

In the public domain

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Benefits of OER for the Student

Affordability Little to no cost

Increased Access to Education Resources can reach a wider audience Students can access resources as and when they need themAnyone can educate themselves for free

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Benefits of OER for the Student

Better Overall Learning ExperienceUse of multimedia meets varied learning needsCourses can be more easily tailored to specifically suit

studentsStudents can sample courses before fully committingAll materials can be made to be accessible to all learners

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Benefits of OER for Faculty

Increased Faculty Collaboration Sharing of resources within departments and beyond

Easy to UpdateThe publishing of a whole new edition and the associated

costs are avoided

Wider Recognition for Faculty and Institutions

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Challenges of OER

Quality ControlA formal review process in currently absent

Creation Time Creation of resources can take a lot of time initially

Open AccessibilityThere are currently limited resources that are accessible to all

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Challenges of OER

Longevity and SustainabilityWhat happens if/when the funding runs out?

Making OER Appeal to All StudentsMany students cherish face-to-face contact and/or are

uncomfortable using technology

Students Need Access to Computers with an Internet Connection