An overview of the pros and cons for instructors thinking of working with Open Education Resources

2. OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
• OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, OR OER FOR SHORT, ARE FREE RESOURCES FOR
EDUCATORS TO USE IN THEIR TEACHING. WHETHER YOUR CLASSROOM IS IN-
PERSON OR VIRTUAL, THERE IS A WIDE VARIETY OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
TO CHOOSE FROM IN MANY FIELDS OF STUDY.

3. WHAT ARE THE
PROS AND CONS OF
OER?

6. CON: EXTRA CARE MUST BE TAKEN
TO PROPERLY SHARE OER
• USING OER PROPERLY MEANS AGREEING TO UTILIZE IT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE WAY THAT IT WAS LICENSED BY ITS
AUTHOR(S). TRADITIONAL TEXTS RE SIMPLY COPYRIGHTED, BUT OER
MAY BE SHARED UNDER A VARIETY OF SOMEWHAT COMPLEX CREATIVE
COMMONS LICENSING. ITS UP TO YOU TO DO THE RESEARCH.

7. CON: THERE ARE LANGUAGE AND
CULTURAL BARRIERS
• ALTHOUGH THINGS ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME, MANY OER TEXTS
ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, OR ARE NOT CULTURALLY
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AUDIENCES.

11. PRO: EASY DISTRIBUTION AND
SHARING
• OER ELIMINATES MANY OF THE TRADITIONAL STEPS INVOLVED WITH
CONTENT DELIVERY. PRINTING AND SHIPPING, AND THEIR ASSOCIATED
DELAYS, ARE A THING OF THE PAST.

13. PRO: EASE OF
UPDATING
OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCES ARE MUCH
EASIER TO UPDATE AND ARE THEREFORE MORE
CURRENT THAN TRADITIONAL TEXTBOOKS.
AUTHORS AND PEERS CAN CONTINUALLY
UPDATE MATERIALS TO OFFER STUDENTS THE
MOST CURRENT INFORMATION.

15. REVIEW
PROS
• USING OER GREATLY REDUCES COSTS TO STUDENTS
• EASY DISTRIBUTION AND SHARING
• OER OFFERS A PATH FOR NEW INNOVATION AND
IDEAS
• EASE OF UPDATING
• REDUCING BARRIERS TO EDUCATION
CONS
• STUDENTS MAY BE UNCLEAR WHERE TO FIND OR HOW
TO UTILIZE OER RESOURCES.
• OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCES CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR
INSTRUCTORS TO LOCATE.
• EXTRA CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO PROPERLY SHARE OER
• THERE ARE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS
• TO UTILIZE OER STUDENTS NEED STRONG INTERNET

16. OVERCOMING THE
CONS…
1. STUDENTS MAY BE UNCLEAR WHERE TO FIND OR HOW TO UTILIZE OER RESOURCES – BUT ONCE
YOU SHOW THEM WHERE TO LOOK…THEY GET IT.
2. OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCES CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR INSTRUCTORS TO LOCATE – GRAB YOUR
FAVORITE CHAIR AND BEVERAGE AND SPEND SOME TIME ON THE INTERNET. THE OER YOU WANT
ARE OUT THERE…YOU’LL FIND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR WITH SOME RESEARCH.
3. EXTRA CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO PROPERLY SHARE OER – ONCE YOU DO THIS A FEW TIMES IT GETS
MUCH EASIER.
4. THERE ARE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS – THE SHAREABILITY AND COLLABORATIVE
NATURE OF OER GIVE YOU TOOLS TO RECOGNIZE AND ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
5. TO UTILIZE OER STUDENTS NEED STRONG INTERNET – EVERYDAY THERE ARE MORE AND MORE
STUDENTS ABLE TO ACCESS THE INTERNET.