The document discusses the benefits and challenges of using open educational resources (OERs). The benefits include free or low-cost learning materials, the ability to easily update resources as information changes, a broad selection of topics, and global internet access. However, the benefits can also present challenges, such as not all students having internet access, no guarantee resources will be regularly updated, difficulties finding specific topics, potential language barriers, and the risk of reducing teacher-student interaction. In conclusion, the author believes OERs are a good concept but need more work to make the resources consistently high-quality, up-to-date, and accessible across cultures.

1. OPEN EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES:
ARE THE BENEFITS
REALLY CHALLENGES?
B Y
J E N N I F E R B L A C K

2. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO USING
OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES?
• OERs give access to a variety of learning material at little
to no cost; thus saving money on textbooks.
• OERs can be updated more frequently and easily to
keep up with changing information and technology
versus textbooks or other printed publications.
• OERs offer a broad selection of topics and interests.
• OERS are easily accessible with access to the internet;
therefore, people all over the world can access OERs.
• OERs offers different ways to present course content (i.e.
text, videos, images, etc.), which may lead to a better
understanding of material by the students.

3. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO
USING OPEN EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES
Ironically, the benefits of using OERs can also be
challenges. For every benefit in the previous slide,
I’ve outlined how those benefits can still lead to
obstacles that need to be overcome to make OERs
more “user friendly”.

4. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO
USING OPEN EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES
• While OERs give access to a variety of learning
material at little to no cost, not all people/students
may have access to the internet and these
resources.
• Although OERs can be updated quickly and easily,
it is NOT guaranteed OERs will be updated to
convey the most recent information, and/or that
the quality of the resources can be validated.
• Given that OERs offer a broad selection of topics,
searching for one specific topic can be frustrating
and time consuming.

5. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO
USING OPEN EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES CONTINUED
• OERs access on the internet can lead to problems
around the world when it comes to language
barriers; thus making the resources ineffective for
people who can not translate what language the
resources are published in.
• And even though OERs offer new ways to present
course content, there is an argument that OERs will
impose on teacher to student contact, and most
importantly, eliminate the need for classroom
discussion and feedback from those discussions.

6. MY TRUE THOUGHTS ON OPEN
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
In conclusion, I think the concept of open
educational resources is fantastic; however, I think
more thought and/or collaboration is needed to
decide how OERs will be validated, updated, and
made to break cultural boundaries so that the
resources are “user friendly” around the world!