Open Education Resources (OER): What are OER?

Samantha Johnson

Instruction / Faculty Outreach Librarian

281-425-6380

sajohnson@lee.edu

Will Mayer

Distance Education / E-Resources Librarian

832-425-4512

wmayer@lee.edu

Open Educational Resources (OER) are a subset of Open Access Materials (OA). Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, although "OER" is specific to academic materials.

OER are:

• Educational and/or scholarly materials, including articles, books, textbooks, journals, etc.
• Published with the intent to make educational material more accessible to all
• Available online
• Usually free of cost to view, download and use

OER are not:

• Completely without any use restrictions
• Regulated consistently throughout the world
• Free.  BUT the cost of OER is borne by the creator or creator's institution, not the user.

OER might be:

• Restricted to a specific user population
• Embargoed by a publisher for a certain length of time
• Peer-reviewed, so it is your responsibility to check

There are both practical and ethical reasons that academics may choose to create, share and use OER:

• Academic Freedom: authors can publish material without being vetted by an institution and without regard for market demand.
• Cost: most OER are available at no cost to the user.
• Access:  OER are accessible through an Internet connection.
• Support the free flow of information and research:  materials are not hidden behind pay walls or subscriptions.
• Equity: Scholars are able to access research materials regardless of the wealth of their institutions.
• Flexibility to customize and easily update materials:  some OER creators allow users to modify and/or excerpt their work to use in their teaching endeavors.