“Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under copyright that have been released under an open license, which permits no-cost access, reuse, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.”*
Open Educational Resources (OER) implement and promote the principles of open science because they enable the development and worldwide dissemination of freely accessible educational materials. This means people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of education can use them. They also provide free access to individual lessons and even entire degree courses. OERs point toward a future where teachers and students, through institutions, will be able to access high-quality educational products that are collaboratively developed, modified, and shared. These resources will be adaptable to specific needs, contexts, and requirements, and their total cost (for preparation, use, updates, and maintenance) will be far lower than it is today.
The first regulatory instrument to address the topic of education based on open-licensed educational materials and technologies is the Recommendation on OER, adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 40th session on the 25th November 2019. To support the implementation of this document, the UNESCO Communication and Information sector established the OER Dynamic Coalition in March 2020. The coalition's goal is to facilitate international cooperation, share best practices, consolidate synergies and networks, and promote the achievement of goals grouped into five action areas defined in the Recommendation:
- Strengthening the capacity of stakeholders to create, access, reuse, adapt, and redistribute OER and apply open licenses in a manner that respects national copyright legislation and international obligations;
- Developing a supportive policy;
- Encouraging inclusive and equitable quality OER;
- Fostering the creation of sustainability models for OER and the experimentation of new forms of sustainable education and learning;
- Facilitating international cooperation.
The adoption and dissemination of Open Educational Resources offer benefits not only for teachers and students but also for institutions and people in general.
For teachers, OERs allow for:
Adaptation: They can be customized, continuously improving quality; Support for open pedagogies: Students are involved in the educational process and the development of learning materials; Improved reputation and collaboration: They offer the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues worldwide; Reduced workload: Through conscious reuse; Inspiration: They provide inspiration for new ideas; Promotion of active approaches; Innovation: They support innovation; Legacy: They ensure a lasting legacy.
For students, OERs guarantee:
Timeless access: Students can access resources even after finishing their courses; Inclusion: They support inclusion; Learning diversification; Lifelong learning; Cost savings; Increased learning opportunities; Ready availability; Improved quality: Thanks to continuous revisions and rapid dissemination; Recognition of open practices; Free and reusable materials: They have no cost and come with permissions for reuse;
Better education; Enhanced comprehension; Co-creation: They allow students to be co-creators of resources.
For institutions, OERs promote: Economies of scale; Professional development for teachers; Maximization of public investment; Self-promotion; International collaboration; Easier research and candidate selection; Increased ability to retain alumni.
For everyone, OERs: Unlock information; Transfer knowledge; Make learning a lifelong activity; Promote equality; Encourage diversity and inclusion; Promote citizen science; Increase quality; Expand boundaries.
Sources:
UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER). (2019, 25 November). CC BY-SA 4.0.
An ENOEL Toolkit: Open Education Benefits. Version 3. OE Benefits – ENOEL Toolkit. CC BY 4.0.
To learn more:
UNESCO Open Educational Resources (OER)
UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER). 25 November 2019.