OER Benefits and Drawbacks

1. OER…The good, the bad,
the reasoning
by Ryan Morris

2. Benefits of OER
▪ Cost –
– Open resources are very cost-effective. Most are free to use, while some others are very, very inexpensive.
One of the toughest obligations to students is cost of textbooks.
▪ Currency –
– OER resources are very current (for the most part) and have some great and easy “updateability” if the source
is not under a No Derivative license.
▪ Timely –
– Students do not have to wait for paychecks, financial aid, shipping, etc., when beginning a course. They can
have access to the materials on the first day!
▪ Innovative –
– The fact that OER is not a typical textbook brings out more innovation in lecture presentations, class meeting
activities, and actively engaged learning on the students’ behalf.
▪ Collaboration –
– Resources that are open are available to many people and as these resources are used, they may be refined,
adapted, and adjusted. These give other instructors ideas as to how they can broaden the scope of what they
use in class and gain a breadth of materials not yet thought of.

3. “Hiccups” of OER
▪ Time Commitment –
– Traditional resources are compiled and created by publishers. It takes time to browse, select, establish, build,
using OER. The time involvement is significant.
▪ Quality Assurance –
– OER materials, although available, may not be what the instructor wants or needs. The question of the
scrutiny behind available resources is always on one’s mind.
▪ No Update Notifications –
– Publishers of textbooks will typically contact book representatives or insturctors to notify them of change in
the materials. This sometimes accompanies updated information in a field. OER resources will not specifically
do this.
▪ Requires Creativity –
– One of the greatest appeals of publisher materials is the test bank (via personal observations and
communications with faculty). OER may not have these types of resources. Therefore, OER adopters must
understand that they might have to create their own test banks or assessments.
▪ Student Preference –
– Some students would complain about OER since they want the feel of the actual textbook in hand. Also, OER
might require a bit more reliance on accessibility for both the instructor and student.