1.3 OER good or bad?
Of course, it all sounds great on paper but you may be asking yourself ‘What is it like in real life? Is there an ugly side to OER?’ That is what we invite you to explore next.
Open Washington [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] have written a module about Why OER matters in which they discuss the benefits and challenges in using OER. Their website also includes a series of links to presentations from staff who already have experience of using open content; find some of those here for ease of access.
- The Road Ahead - Open Educational Resources - Touting the Benefits while Recognizing the Challenges by Pat Pickering
- Open Educational Resources: Should I Use them? by Leo Hopcroft
- Pros and Cons of OER by Barbara Jacobs
Activity 2
After consulting the above links, think of your own experience at work and make your own list of the advantages and disadvantages of using OER in your teaching.
- Do you align yourself with the pros or the cons? Why?
1.2 Defining OER