OERs and Reaching Universal Education

This was my first exposure to Open Educational Resources (OERs), while I wished I had learned about OERs earlier, I am excited to dive into this new concept. So, let's talk OERs

Open Educational Resources and Reaching Universal Education

OERs include any kind or type of educational materials that are in the public domain and free to learn from, use, share and remix. Educational resources are typically published under open licenses (like Creative Commons) that determine how the materials can be used and modified for the user's needs. 

The goal of OERs is to provide open access to high quality and digital educational materials. The OER movement comes from the effort to achieve the universal right to education and to share educational resources on a global level. OERs have a broad range of participants that include universities, private organizations and many others. 

The above video offers a brief overview of OERs and how OERs can be used to overcome some of the challenges and reality of education. 

When using OERs, there are 5 important considerations of Creative Commons licensing: 

1. Reuse 

2. Retain 

3. Revise

4. Remix 

5. Redistribute 

When in Doubt, Make a Pros and Cons List

 I created a Pros and Cons List for OERs:

OER Sites

Here is a site that lists a few common OER sites to explore or bookmark: (Diigo bookmark anyone?)

Campus Technology  Credit: Dian Schaffhauser 

I have learned a lot about OERs over the past week and reflected on the advantages and disadvantages to consider when using OERs by making a pros and cons list.  How have you come to understand OERs? If you stumbled upon resources that helped your understanding, I would love to see!