Open Educational Resources (OER) provide free educational materials that can be tailored and combined from multiple sources, but come with some challenges. OER have no costs for faculty or students, allow easy updating and access via the internet, but verifying facts, licensing, and technology reliance takes instructor time. Departmental approval and student tech-savviness must also be considered when using OER alternatives to traditional textbooks.

1. Open Educational
Resources (OER)
Benefits and Challenges
Becky Lindsay October, 2015

2. Benefits
• No cost to faculty or student
• Variety of materials – written, video, audio, multi-media presentations
• Ability to tailor and combine materials from multiple sources
• Available to all who have internet access and the technology
• Materials can be updated and corrected easily
• No heavy books!

3. Challenges of OER
• Could be time consuming for instructor to verify facts & licensing
• Not all-in-one like a text book
• Technology and the internet not always available and reliable
• Materials selected/approved for use by Department or Committee or
individual instructor?
• Not all students are technologically savvy