The OER process has the potential for supporting new instructional approaches in the classroom. These approaches become possible because the conditions that OER provides lend flexibility for sharing educational resources worldwide. These conditions are scaffolded by the variety of nonrestrictive licenses to choose from (see OER Licensing and Conditions of Use) as well as the ability to access these resources through OER repositories. As educators integrate OER into their teaching, students benefit from exposure to a wider range of pedagogical expressions through the materials created by other educators and learners from all over the world. This diversity of pedagogical approaches and cultural perspectives is a foundational aspect of OER. The endless options that this diversity provides give educators and learners a springboard for integrating new ways of working in educational environments.
Students are not only impacted by the diversity of materials offered through OER. The OER process opens up possibilities for collaborations with other students as well as with their teachers in creating content. Here are a few ideas on how OER can benefit students:
- The activity of remixing content can provide new ways of looking at the subject which can open up dialogue between teacher and student and student to student. It can also help develop cognitive skills as well as computer skills.
- Using an OER repository as a portal for collaborative assignments can spark students working with each other within a local classroom as well as with students in schools in any part of the world.
- Teachers can guide students in the creation of content with the intent of submitting it to an OER repository. The act of sharing back content assists students in becoming participants of and not just consumers of content. Knowing that others will use their work instills a sense of ownership, pride, and a quest for creating high quality work.
OER stories from around the world
Katrín’s assignment in her teacher training class is to use OER with her students.
Students collaborate on an English assignment to create a web-based magazine.
Your experience using open and freely shared course-related materials is valuable in the reuse and evolution of the materials. Tell us your story; how you’ve used these materials and how their use has impacted how you teach or learn.
"This "course" is a tutorial and rationale for open education"