This is a PPT of the challenges and benefits of using Open Educational Resources (OER). This was completed to meet requirements of an online class in using OER.

1. {
Benefits and
Challenges of OER
Or the joys and tears to expect if you undertake
such a project….by Polly McMahon, PhD

2. Next…the Joys

3. 1. OER frees the students from worry about
purchasing textbooks
2. OER reduces my headaches when the student
still don’t have a text and the term is well under
way
3. There are many resources that are open
source which I am using anyway and this gives
us an opportunity to explore them in more
depth
4. OER encourages more creative exploration
from the students and faculty
5. OER forces us to think…to really ponder the
course objectives and how they will be taught.

5. 1. OER research takes a lot of time to find
the kinds of materials that will meet the
course objectives and be accessible to
diverse students of all ability levels.
2. Some students and their families and
transfer institutions may feel that the OER
students are receiving less than quality
materials since they are not from a familiar
mainstream publisher.
3. The public and the students need to be
better educated about OER as well as
faculty and administration!
4. OER demands a lot of skill when
locating Common Course licensed
material. Not all is what it seems!
5. OER forces us to think…to really ponder
the course objectives and how they will be
taught. This is, of course, a challenge as
well as a joy!

6. In summary, it seems to me that using OER is like
going back to our roots before we were so text
dependent. The earliest learning for all of us came
when a treasured adult told us stories or
demonstrated something for us to follow. Then
we were shown books and hopefully more stories
were shared. This is similar to what happens with
OER I think, but dial it up a notch with
technology. We are no longer textbook dependent
and instead as a teacher I am encouraged once
more to share what is important and what I can
discover together with my students. In this way I
believe we have come again full circle and arrived
at a better place for learning.