What are Open Educational Resources?
Open Educational Resources are learning, teaching, and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under the copyright that has been released under an open license, that permits no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation, and redistribution by others.
© unesco.org
Why use OER?
OER has been shown to increase student learning while breaking down barriers of affordability and accessibility. Feldstein et al. (2012) conducted a research study at Virginia State University, where OER was implemented across nine different courses in the business department. Researchers found that students in courses that used OER more frequently had better grades and lower failure and withdrawal rates than their counterparts in courses that did not use OER.
OERs give faculty the ability to customize course materials, creating the “perfect” course packet or textbook instead of being bound to a traditional one-size-fits-all model. Customization gives faculty control over the quality of their course materials as well as the type and timing of updates to textbooks and other resources.
© PennState: OER and Low-Cost Materials at Penn State
expanded access to learning. Students anywhere in the world can access OERs at any time, and they can access the material repeatedly.
scalability. OERs are easy to distribute widely with little or no cost.
augmentation of class materials. OERs can supplement textbooks and lectures where deficiencies in information are evident.
enhancement of regular course content. For example, multimedia material such as videos can accompany the text. Presenting information in multiple formats may help students to learn the material being taught more.
quick circulation. Information may be disseminated rapidly (especially when compared to information published in textbooks or journals, which may take months or even years to become available). Quick availability of material may increase the timeliness and/or relevance of the material being presented.
showcasing innovation and talent. A wide audience may learn of faculty research interests and expertise. Potential students and donors may be impressed, and student and faculty recruitment efforts may be enhanced.
ties for alumni. OERs provide an excellent way for alumni to stay connected to the institution and continue with a program of lifelong learning.
continually improved resources. Unlike textbooks and other static sources of information, OERs can be improved quickly through direct editing by users or through solicitation and incorporation of user feedback. Instructors can take an existing OER, adapt it for a class, and make the modified OER available for others to use.
© PennState: OER and Low-Cost Materials at Penn State