The document discusses Open Educational Resources (OER), highlighting their role in bridging knowledge and skill gaps and supporting lifelong learning. It outlines various global and Indian initiatives, including the MIT OpenCourseWare project and National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning in India, aimed at enhancing access to high-quality educational content. The importance of addressing licensing issues and integrating OER into formal and non-formal education systems is emphasized to maximize their potential in human development.

1. Open Educational Resources
(OER): Global and Indian
Perspectives
Dr. Anup Kumar Das
JNU
New Delhi
Presented in the International Workshop on Technology in
Education: Learning in 21st Century;
on 4th December 2012; at NISTADS (CSIR), New Delhi, India

2. OER and Its Variations
Open TextBooks
Freely available online textbooks to be used by students,
teachers and members of the public. e.g. NCERT Online
Textbooks
Open CourseWare (OCW)
Freely available online educational materials of high quality
for college and university level students. Include course
planning materials and evaluation tools as well as thematic
contents. e.g. MIT Open CourseWare.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Freely available online educational resources including A/V
materials, on-line learning communities, FOSS, other
educational contents. e.g. IMARK

3. Why Open Educational Resources (OER)
Bridging knowledge divide
Bridging skill gaps
Creating human capitals
Supporting lifelong learning and continuous
professional development
Supporting adult education
Creating a self-paced learning environment
Awareness raising and sensitization of different
socio-economic and practical issues
e.g. legal literacy, health literacy, information literacy,
digital literacy, media literacy, awareness raising on
HIV/AIDS, occupational health; gender sensitization, etc.

4. OER Policymaking – India
National Knowledge Commission recommended a “national e-
content and curriculum initiative” in 2008
National Knowledge Network, initiated in 2009, connects 1500+
institutions and R&D centres; facilitates Countrywide Virtual
Classroom and Virtual Library.
NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced
Learning), initiated in 2003,
IITs (7) and IISc came together to develop web and video based
material for basic UG Science & Engineering courses to enhance
the reach and quality of technical education. 2nd Phase started
during 11th FYP.
National Mission on Education through ICT, initiated in 2009 by
MHRD. ICT infrastructure development, FOSS development, e-
learning contents development. Adopted NPTEL’s 2nd Phase.

5. OER Policymaking – International
MIT OpenCourseWare project launched in 2002, sparked a global OER
Movement.
In 2002, the term Open Educational Resources was coined at a UNESCO
meeting.
In 2003, Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences
and Humanities was released
In 2005, an international OER Community was launched by UNESCO IIEP
to raise awareness of OER and to consider some of the related issues.
In 2007, the UNESCO IIEP OER Community ranked the priorities for
advancing the OER movement – and identified awareness raising, and
community building and networking as the most important actions.
In 2007, OECD reported on a study of the scale and scope of OER at that
time Giving Knowledge for Free: The Emergence of Open Educational
Resources.
In 2007, the Cape Town Open Education Declaration was released
In 2010, a UNESCO/COL Chair in OER (Athabasca University, Canada)
and a UNESCO Chair in OER (Open Universiteit, Netherlands) were
awarded to act as think tanks and bridge builders, working through
partnerships and networking
In 2012, UNESCO passed the Paris OER Declaration, during 2012 World
OER Congress, in Paris, June 20-22, 2012

6. OER Communities
WSIS Knowledge Communities, OER
Community >> Supporting the EFA and MDGs with Open
Educational Resources
OER-Community (e-group) presently
moderated by UNESCO/COL Chair in OER
OpenCourseWare Consortium, USA
Wiki Educator (http://wikieducator.org)
OER Asia (www.oerasia.org)
OER Africa (www.oerafrica.org)

7. OER Gateways
Open Training Platform (OTP), initiated in 1997 by UNESCO,
http://otp.unesco-ci.org
Curriki, initiated in 2006, a leading K-12 global community for
teachers, students and parents to create, share, and find free
and open learning resources that improve teacher effectiveness
and student outcomes. http://welcome.curriki.org/
MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and
Online Teaching), initiated in 1997, by the California State
University Center for Distributed Learning (CSU-CDL).
http://www.merlot.org
Directory of OpenCourseWare Consortium, initiated by OCW
Consortium
Global Open Access Portal, initiated in 2011 by UNESCO

8. Example of Successful OER
IMARK (Information Management Resource Kit)
http://www.imarkgroup.org/
Created by FAO in collaboration with over 30 partner and
contributing organizations, including UNESCO, COL, INASP.
Agricultural information management for development practitioners
Modules
Knowledge Sharing for Development
Digital Libraries, Repositories and Documents (DLRD)
Web 2.0 and Social Media for Development
Networking in Support of Development
Building Electronic Communities and Networks
Investing in Information for Development
Digitization and Digital Libraries (superseded by the module
DLRD)
Management of Electronic Documents (superseded by the
module DLRD)
Online and CD-ROM platforms

9. IMARK
IMARK modules use the latest instructional methods
in e-learning such as:
Personal Learning Paths
Storytelling
Illustrative Case Studies
Learner Tracking
Simulations and "Demonstration-Practice Method"
Interactive Tests and Exercises with Reinforcement
feedback
Each module has a technical glossary and search function,
as well as reference materials and case studies.

10. Conclusion
OER have great potential in skills development,
lifelong learning and other sectors of human
development.
OER licensing issues need to be addressed more
carefully as prescribed in the 2012 Paris OER
Declaration.
OER need to be integrated with formal and non-
formal education systems.
Qualitative Multilingual E-contents should be
created.
Multimedia and Multilingual OER production skills
need be imparted in teachers’ training centres.

11. Thank you for your kind attention.