Open Educational Resources (OER) are free digital educational materials that aim to enhance accessibility and choice in education, while also reducing costs associated with traditional education resources. Despite their benefits, challenges include verifying quality, sustainability, and accessibility, as well as potential barriers such as technology costs and internet access disparities. Improving OER involves creating quality materials, ensuring compatibility for diverse learning needs, and utilizing eco-friendly technology for access.

1. Open Educational Resources
Open Educational Resources (OER) are digitized, stored, educational materials
that are available to anyone by computer, via the Internet
According to the United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) all OER material should be in the public domain
and accessible to all
This slide presentation covers:
Advantages of OER
Challenges of OER
Disadvantages of OER
Improving OER
Note: This slide presentation is to be used in the Public Domain
and was created by Ken Luchini on 2015 November 16 & Revised 2015 November 19

2. Advantages of OER
Possibility of replacing expensive textbooks
Increases choice of educational material
Helps students with previewing & retention of knowledge
Availability of educational material to modify and adapt as needed
Superficially, OER helps curb the commodification of knowledge
Provides an alternative or enhanced educational paradigm
According to United Nations Education Scientific & Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) - public domain OERs should provide education to all, to uplift humanity

3. Challenges of Using OER
Quality Assurance of resources / materials
Sustainability of OER website
Understanding Open Licensing
Plus Time required to:
Locate OER materials
Review OER materials for appropriate grade level use
Checking OER materials’ user Licenses
Prepare / modify OER materials, if necessary
Verifying OER materials are accessible for duration of your course
OER material media players / readers are available to all students
Technological hardware and software tool availability to access OER

4. OER Disadvantages
Commodification of:
OER Education Programs – degree$ & certificate$
Downloading cost$ vs. textbook cost$
Internet acce$$ (as well as censorship)
Computer Hardware – technologie$
Computer Software – operating system$,
media player$ & reader$
No electrical power, computers, Internet, or cell phones
Means no OER

5. Finally - Improving OER for All
1. Creation of more quality OER materials is needed (for different grade levels)
2. Quality of OER material may be increased by using Quality Matters Rubrics
3. OER materials should be available in Adobe Acrobat Reader format
…and in formats suitable to accommodate learning differences
4. Laptop computers incorporating Linux Ubuntu operating systems,
connecting to the Internet, via Wi-Fi, and
that run off of batteries, charged by solar cells, should be used to access OER

6. Finally - Improving OER for All
1. Creation of more quality OER materials is needed (for different grade levels)
2. Quality of OER material may be increased by using Quality Matters Rubrics
3. OER materials should be available in Adobe Acrobat Reader format
…and in formats suitable to accommodate learning differences
4. Laptop computers incorporating Linux Ubuntu operating systems,
connecting to the Internet, via Wi-Fi, and
that run off of batteries, charged by solar cells, should be used to access OER