Open educational resources (OERs) are free educational materials that can be used and reused without cost. Some benefits of using OERs include saving students money, giving instructors more options for course materials, and improving educational resources as more contributors are involved. However, challenges exist as well - OER materials may not always be of high quality despite being free, resources can become obsolete without maintenance, and not all student needs may be met with available open options. Quality assurance and awareness of what OERs are also present challenges.

1. Open
Educational
Resources
What are the benefits and
challenges in OERs?

2. Benefits of using OERs
 Saves our students money
 Provides more options for instructors
 Brings more attention to the course
 With more educational materials available, there will be
more used.
 Raises standard of educational resources by gathering
more contributors
 The educational resources are improved with the
increase in those who contribute.
Sources: https://sbctc.instructure.com/courses/1431196/pages/what-are-the-challenges-in-using-oer?module_item_id=21893691

3. Challenges of using OERs
 You get what you get. Just because the materials are free,
it doesn’t mean they are good.
 Sustainability of OER: “Without serious maintenance the
resources will become obsolete and the quality will be
lost. “
 How do we maintain quality without a system in place to
guarantee quality?
 People don’t know what OER’s are or how to go about
using them.
 Just because you have access to many free educational
resources, you don’t know if they will be accessible to all
students and an array of needs.
 You have no control of what someone can or will do with
your educational resource submitted.
Sources: https://sbctc.instructure.com/courses/1431196/pages/what-are-the-challenges-in-using-oer?module_item_id=21893691