OER AdoptionBenefits and Challenges

Karin PfisterOER 101May 2016

Why Open Education Resources?

Faculty benefits• Increased flexibility of how you use content • No copyright permissions to chase after • No book orders or publishers to deal with (if using Open

Textbooks)• No heavy, bulky text to tote• Possibilities of customization, can modify/edit as needed• Student feedback is positive (students are grateful)• Saves time and effort through reusing of resources rather

than creating from scratch

Student benefits• Low cost or free• Increased availability• No heavy, bulky text to tote• Easy to find and access, even before course begins and after

course ends• Ability to add to resources as part of coursework (if lecturer

allows)

Other Benefits…

OER emphasises learning communities and learner engagement

OER supports development of skills needed for problem solving

OER creates opportunities for personalised learning

OER allows students to create and share their own content

Adapted from: Holotescu, C. (2007) Open Educational Resources and FLOSS

But, there are challenges…

Time requirement to find just what you need Quality and “fit” are often “not quite right” Lack of University OER policies to guide and

support lecturers Deciding on the most appropriate license Making sure there is NOTHING in the resource

you’ve created that will prohibit you from labelling CC; or making sure you attribute anything within your resource that is NOT CC and then label your resource “CC Unless labelled otherwise”

Staff incentive to create and share OER