What is OER?
Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning, teaching, and research materials available in various formats and mediums. These resources reside in the public domain or are under copyright but have been released under an open license. Low-cost materials are those that are specifically identified to lower the cost of course materials for students.
Why is it important?
OER provides students with day-one access to free course materials. Research shows that most students perform as well or better using OER course materials compared to traditional textbooks. In addition, OER by its nature is more accessible by making educational materials freely available and ensuring that more students can access quality learning resources. The openness and flexibility of OER empower educators and researchers to be more innovative in teaching and learning.
What does Research Say?
Understanding the Impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) on Teaching and Learning Hilton, J. (2016) reviews 16 studies on OER, focusing on two key areas:
- Student learning outcomes: How OER affects student performance in higher education.
- Perceptions: What college students and instructors think about OER.
The findings show that students typically achieve similar learning outcomes with OER while also saving a lot of money.
OER at Eberly College of Science
OER at Penn State
OER Beyond Penn State
- Open Educational Resources | UNESCO: Supports the creation and sharing of open educational resources globally, with a focus on inclusive and equitable quality education.
- OER Commons: A public digital library of open educational resources. Explore, create, and collaborate with educators around the world to improve curriculum.
- MERLOT: Provides access to curated online learning and support materials and content creation tools, led by an international community of educators, learners and researchers.
- Creative Commons: An international nonprofit organization that empowers people to grow and sustain the thriving commons of shared knowledge and culture. Their intent is to address the world's most pressing challenges and create a brighter future for all.
