Open educational resources (OERs)

Open educational resources (OERs) are resources which are freely available. They have a special ‘creative commons’ copyright license which allows them to be copied, adapted and republished (www.creativecommons.org). There are six types of license, each with slightly different conditions attached. All of them require you to acknowledge the source of the material.

The authors do not receive any payment; the producer bears the cost of the resources.

For example, this sign means you can use this material as long as you acknowledge its source. If you adapt it and republish it you must share it under the same terms (‘share alike’). They were first defined in 2000 by UNESCO and supported in the Paris Declaration in 2012 and the Ljublijana Action Plan in 2017.

OERs can be printed materials or digital. They can be in the form of pictures, books, documents, videos or audio.

Activity 4.3 Understanding OERs

Allow approximately 30 mins for this activity.

Listen to this slidecast about OERs. As you listen, in your study notebook make notes on the opportunities and challenges afforded by OER. (Transcript available here)

^{Download presentation}

Use your notes to write responses to the following questions:

1. What structures are in place or need to be in place in your institution to support the use of OERs?
   
2. How can individuals in your institution be supported to find and use OERs?
3. Think about the culture in your institution: is the use of OERs encouraged? Does anything need to change?

Add a comment to the Week 4 forum stating one thing you have learnt about OER from this presentation.