The document describes an experiment by the Open University of the Netherlands (OUNL) called OpenER, which aimed to increase access to higher education through open educational resources (OER). OpenER made 16 online courses freely available and tracked user engagement and outcomes. Over 650,000 users accessed the courses, but only 80 pursued formal examinations. The experiment provided lessons for OUNL on producing high-quality OER and engaging learners without formal support. Going forward, OUNL aims to further develop OER and advocate for their role in lifelong learning.