Module 2
What are OER? - Defining OER
There are several definitions of OER. Here are a few examples:
What are OER? - Defining OER
There are several definitions of OER. Here are a few examples:
- Digitised materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and reuse for teaching, learning and research. (Wikipedia)
- The open provision of educational resources, enabled by information and communication technologies, for consultation, use and adaptation by a community of users for non-commercial purposes (UNESCO; 2002)
- OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property licence that permits their free use or re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation)
- Educational resources that are freely available for use by educators and learners, without an accompanying need to pay royalties or licence fees (Neil Butcher, 2010)
- Materials offered freely and openly to use and re-use for teaching, learning, development and research (COL OER policy)
- Digitised materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and re-use for teaching, learning and research. OER can be deposited (by donation) by a variety of sources to one or more of the many OER repositories, which are mainly online. (COL Website)
There is no established definition of OER and can be defined in term of two attributes:
- Free use
- Licensed for re-use and it can be modified and re-purposed
There is still a debate on the technology/platforms/formats of OER.
We can therefore attempt to answer the question: What are OER?
- It is more than learning objects.
- It is free for use, re-use and re-purpose in most cases.
- It is open It is enabled by technology in most cases, especially for its development.
- It can be distributed in any format e.g. print, on CD, online.
- There are some restrictions placed in some cases e.g. non-commercial purposes.
- You can use it legally without an accompanying need to pay royalties or licence fees.
- It can be used for teaching, learning, development and research.
- You can find OER in one of the many OER repositories, which are mainly online.
Who are using OER?
Now that we have an idea what OER are, we can ask the following question: Are people using OER?
We know that the idea of sharing learning materials is not new, but...does it take place?
According to Petrides & Jimes (2006) while educators and learners are positive about using OER materials, they are less likely to take part in other behaviours like sharing their own content, re-using other's content and creating content collaboratively.
From: OER as a Model for Enhanced Teaching and Learning
Why are institutions/educators NOT using OER despite of it being available?
Some of the reasons people are not using OER are:
Now that we have an idea what OER are, we can ask the following question: Are people using OER?
We know that the idea of sharing learning materials is not new, but...does it take place?
According to Petrides & Jimes (2006) while educators and learners are positive about using OER materials, they are less likely to take part in other behaviours like sharing their own content, re-using other's content and creating content collaboratively.
From: OER as a Model for Enhanced Teaching and Learning
Why are institutions/educators NOT using OER despite of it being available?
Some of the reasons people are not using OER are:
Watch the following video on Open Education Resources: Lessons from the COL experience
- Knowing that it is there does not mean it is used
- Proudly ‘my own’ – when doing it yourself, you know that it is better…
- Abundance creates its own burdens - Too much choice can be paralyzing
- Organisational support/incentives to use it
To read more about the issues around OER:
Open Education Resources: Lessons from the COL experience (same as the video)
To learn more about what OER are, wrok through the first part of this tutrial on WikiEducator: http://wikieducator.org/Open_Educational_Content/olcos/introduction.
Activity 2
1. After working though this module, identify the important elements for yourself to define OER. Construct your own definition of OER and if possible, discuss it with your colleagues.
2. In your own institution, why are OER not being used?
2. In your own institution, why are OER not being used?
Go to Module 3 - Licence Types