The benefits and challenges of OER

1. Open Education
Resources
The Benefits & Challenges

2. The Benefits
 Cost savings for students
 As a college course instructor, I see the cost of textbooks as a barrier for some
students
 Up to date information
 With online materials, it will be less expensive and more efficient to update
electronic texts and resources
 Ease of Access
 Students will be able to take courses from anywhere if the materials, lectures,
and information are open access, lending more success to those who work part-
time and have family commitments/constraints
 Teachers/Instructors can utilize open access materials to build upon or
improve their own courses
 Improves the ability to collaborate and produce higher quality materials
through peer review

3. The Challenges
 Searching multiple sites for resources
 Verification of classification of materials – Open, Public Domain or
Copyrighted
 The various classifications under Creative Commons
 Convincing faculty to participate in Open Educational Resources
 What are the incentives for them to share what they create?
 Development of a convenient and reliable resource to verify if materials
are available for use
 Colleges/Universities providing technical and other support for faculty
involved in developing/sharing OER coursework
 Many higher education budgets do not allow for this type of support