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Open Educational Resources (OER)
Education Textbooks Boundless Education Teaching Resources Open Educational Resources (OER)
Education Textbooks Boundless Education Teaching Resources
Education Textbooks Boundless Education
Education Textbooks
Education
Concept Version 4
Created by Boundless

Understanding Open Educational Resources (OER)

Open educational resources are freely accessible, openly licensed content that are useful for teaching, learning, and research purposes.

Key Points

    • The development and promotion of open educational resources is often motivated by a desire to curb the commodification of knowledge and provide an alternate or enhanced educational paradigm.
    • Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, and software, as well as any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.
    • Teachers can use open educational resources to enhance their lesson plans or to get in contact with other educators who teach similar subjects and use different resources.

Term

  • Open educational resources

    Open educational resources (OER) are freely accessible, usually openly licensed documents and media that are useful for teaching, learning, educational, assessment and research purposes.


Full Text

Open educational resources (OER) are freely accessible, openly licensed documents and media that are useful for teaching, learning, and assessment and research purposes (see ). The development and promotion of open educational resources is often motivated by a desire to curb the commodification of knowledge and provide an alternative or enhanced educational paradigm. OER materials encompass any content that is offered freely and openly to use and adapt for teaching and learning purposes (especially online).

OER Logo

The English-language version of the open educational resources logo.

OER materials encompass a wide variety of content, such as full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, and software. OER also include any educational resources (lesson plans, quizzes, syllabi, instructional modules, simulations, etc.) that are freely available for use, reuse, adaptation, and sharing.

Teachers can use open educational resources to improve lesson plans or to get in touch with other educators who teach similar subjects and use different resources. Websites such as WikiEducator provide a digital community for teachers, educators, and learners to build and expand upon OER.

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