A quick primer of and argument for the use of open educational resources.

1. ABOUT OPEN
EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES
GREG DAMICO
The Future of Education

2. WHAT ARE OPEN
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES?
Open educational resources (OERs) are just what their name suggests they
are: Resources (such as .doc files, .pdf files, images, videos and syllabi)
that are both educational (aimed at the goal of education, particularly at the
college level) and open (available for free use to anyone).
About Open Educational Resources
Greg Damico

3. WHY USE OERs?
THE BENEFITS OF OERs ARE MANY.
Some are obvious
They help to make education available
to the financially disadvantaged.
They help to make education available
to those where such resources are
otherwise scarce.
Others are more subtle
They constitute a rich and (mostly)
clearly marked cache of tools for
instructors looking to fill in the courses
they’re designing.
They help keep instructors in contact and
engaged with one another.
They are easily transportable and
accessible.
About Open Educational Resources
Greg Damico

4. ARE THERE ANY COSTS?
YES, AT LEAST POTENTIALLY.
Some educators worry about a decline in quality.
 This worry may be substantial. The point of OERs is to increase accessibility and connectivity; a dip in the
average quality of the available resources may be a necessary evil of this.
Some educators worry about losing control over their work.
 Many authors preserve their copyrights on OERs!
Creative Commons (a leading open licenser) licenses are irrevocable.
 This point needs only to remind us of the sensible caution to be careful about what we publish.
OERs may lead to confusion about what materials are open to the public and in what
ways they may be used.
 Such confusion will likely be largely a matter of the novelty of OERs, and so we can expect the confusion to
dissipate as OERS become more common.
The future of OERs is uncertain, since early funding interests may soon dry up.
 This is a legitimate worry, but the solution here is easy: Help support the availability and use of OERs!
About Open Educational Resources
Greg Damico

5. WHAT’S THE VERDICT?
OERs CAN BE A VALUABLE FEATURE OF
THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION!
Technology is improving at a tremendous rate.
More and more, we are caring about the education of everyone on
Earth, regardless of his or her financial status, his or her location or his or
her access to educational resources.
The recent financial crunch has encouraged everyone in academia to
try to limit costs.
All of these facts of the modern world indicate that the future
of education is to be found online, in a global web of
interconnected people and virtual resources. OERs can only
help the learners of the future in their educational goals.
About Open Educational Resources
Greg Damico