Open Education Resources

The Pros and ConsBy Amanda E. LeeVan

Photo credit: opensourceway / Foter / CC BY-SA

The Pros

OERs can supplement textbooks & lectures when information is incomplete

With supplemental lesson modules With videos and podcasts With student centered activities With formative and practical assessments With interactive labs

Students around the world can access OERs at any time, over and over

Photo credit: tonynetone / Foter / CC BY

OERs can reduce the expense of traditional textbooks and course packs

Photo credit: opensourceway / Foter / CC BY-SA

Continually Improved Resources

OERs can be improved quickly through editing by other users

or through solicited feedback

Depending on the license other uses can revise, remix, and add additional content to continually update resources

Provide Enhancements to regular course content with free content and open tools Multimedia material can accompany text allowing for multiple formats to

meet UDL guidelines which may help all students to learn the material more easily

Photo credit: kfasimpaur / Foter / CC BY-SA

Cons

Con: Quality issues with some OER resources

Since there are several OER repositories that allow any user to create an account and post materials

the accuracy and relevance of some materials is questionable

There are no quality standards for resources submitted

Con: Technological barrier issues

Some students may have trouble using some OERs if they use an older or slow computer or internet connection

Not all students have ready access to internet

Photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com / Foter / CC BY

Con: Creative Commons licensing terms can be confusing to users

Users unfamiliar with the CC licensing may be confused with if and how they can use resources

Con: Creative Commons licenses are non-revocable

CC Licensing can be changed or removed from items but materials already used, reused or revised will continue to be exponentially available

This may scare off some educators who are unsure of their future potential as published professors who may feel they would loose out of royalties

Photo credit: Neubie / Foter / CC BY

Con: Question on the long term sustainability of OERs

While there has been significant money for OER startup development, there is some question about keeping the resources up to date and maintaining the servers and file sharing portals open for worldwide access over the long term

Will You OER?

Photo credit: westernedge_photo / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA