OPEN
EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES
By Amy Hammons

“READ NOT TO CONTRADICT NOR
TO BELIEVE, BUT TO WEIGH AND
CONSIDER.”
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
(OER)…
 Students can access course material online from anywhere
 Textbook costs can be prohibitive and utilizing free textbooks can
improve the likelihood of students access education
…improves access to education

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
(OER)…
 Instructors do not need to reinvent the wheel, they can use existing
resources and make it there own…giving them the time to improve
instruction.
 Instructors and colleges around the world have access to more
courses and resources they may not have had prior.
…improves quality

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
(OER)…
 Some text books are upwards of $300. OER text books are free and
can be printed for very little.
 Tutoring serves are expensive. OER can provide free assistance to
students.
…reduces costs to students

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
(OER)…
 New and exciting resources are available that creatively teach material
to students.
 Teachers and instructors don’t need to spend time developing a
creative method for delivering EVERY SINGLE lesson plan.
…adds variety in the classroom

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
(OER)…
 Homogeny in education can lead to stagnation. Collaborating and
expanding ideas promotes the instruction
…encourages collaboration

CHALLENGES
 Users must determine the resource’s credibility
 Limited offerings may create homogeny of knowledge (if we all
take the same five classes, we all have taken the same five
classes)
 Reverting to our inner-kindergarten. Educators can get territorial
and not want to share.
 Once it is shared, it is always shared. Creative commons license
are non-revocable.
 Time! Using OER can require significant upfront time
commitments to find and/or develop the resources..