A list of 5 benefits and 5 drawbacks of Open Educational Resources.

1. OER Benefits and
Challenges
LaurenWelch
Reference Librarian, Grays Harbor College
January 2016

2. page one
BENEFIT
Hope and optimism.
Knowing there are options
for variable types of
resources, and that
professors and educators
want to explore those
options, may give a
renewed sense of purpose,
excitement, and curiosity to
students.
CHALLENGE
Outdated Material
Open Educational
Resources age just like the
traditional textbook. It is
possible to come across
materials that have not
been updated recently, or
are incorrect altogether.
The educator will need to
be vigilant about this.

3. page two
BENEFIT
Reprieve of financial stress.
Textbooks and supplies add
up so quickly. Having any
type of break on cost can be
a positive thing for many
students.
CHALLENGE
Access problems.
A large amount of Open
Educational Resources are
found online. Although
cheaper than a textbook,
students must have access
to the internet to use OER.
This may mean more time
away from home for those
needing to use
library/public computers.

4. page three
BENEFIT
Wider access to different
ideas.
Many OER-based classes
will use multiple sources
from different authors.This
gives students different
perspectives on the same
topic, allowing for better
class discussions and
expanded critical thinking.
CHALLENGE
Accurate labeling.
There is a possibility that
sources marked as OER are
not OER. It is important to
double check to make sure
the content is free to use.
Licensing should be
respected.

5. page four
BENEFIT
Customization.
The ability to use, toss
away, and mix-and-match
educational sources gives
educators better control
over their class content. Not
being bound to a single
textbook grants educators
the ability to flex their
teaching muscles and mold
their curriculum as needed.
CHALLENGE
Missing pieces.
It is possible that vital
pieces of class subjects
might be missed if too
much customization occurs.
The traditional textbook will
walk a student through
basic to advanced ideas, but
a customized ‘mash-up’ of
sources may accidentally
leave out some critical topic
points.

6. page five
BENEFIT
Increased library holdings.
It isn’t common for libraries
to purchase copies of
traditional textbooks for
their collections. Free and
cheap OER sources may be
a way for libraries to acquire
content for class work that
can be used by the
students; it could bring
students to the library, and
be budget friendly.
CHALLENGE
Change from the norm.
Open Educational
Resources are becoming
more and more popular, but
they are not necessarily the
norm yet. Many students
are used to a physical
format from which to study.
Change can be difficult and
challenging.

7. With all things, there are bound to be
upsides and downsides, benefits and
drawbacks. I believe the downsides of Open
Educational Resources are manageable when
considering the vast benefits they
provide.