1 OER: What they are and why you should find out more!
1 OER: What they are and why you should find out more!
Learning outcomes
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
-
- Define open educational resources (OER) and detail the characteristics of OER
Key OER definitions
What are OER?
Open educational resources (OER) are learning and teaching materials that are either in the public domain or have been released under an open licence. OER can be freely used, changed, or shared with others.
The term OER is used to refer to a wide range of materials such as textbooks, learning objects (quizzes, puzzles, games, etc.), images, video, music and audio clips, subject or course syllabi and even courseware.
Watch this video created by UNESCO which explains what an OER is based on the definition proposed by the UNESCO OER Recommendation (UNESCO, 2022).
Watch: Open Educational Resources concept: What is an OER? [0:57]
Note: Closed captions are available by clicking on the CC button in the video.
Now we’re going to look at the concept of the 5Rs and how they tie into the definition of OER.
The 5Rs
According to David Wiley’s (n.d.) influential definition, a true OER is one that is “either (1) in the public domain or (2) licensed in a manner that provides everyone with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities.”
Wiley describes these 5Rs as follows:
- Retain – make, own, and control a copy of the resource (e.g., download and keep your own copy)
- Revise – edit, adapt, and modify your copy of the resource (e.g., translate into another language)
- Remix – combine your original or revised copy of the resource with other existing material to create something new (e.g., make a mashup)
- Reuse – use your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource publicly (e.g., on a website, in a presentation, in a class)
- Redistribute – share copies of your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource with others (e.g., post a copy online or give one to a friend)
It’s important to remember, however, that openness is always a scale. As we’ll see when we look at Creative Commons licences, some open licences don’t allow full engagement with the 5Rs – they may not permit revising or remixing, for example. Such resources are still OER – still free to download, use, and share – but do not meet the gold standard of ‘true’ OER.
Nonetheless, the 5Rs have become a touchstone for definitions of OER.
Read: Defining the ‘open’ in open content and Open Educational Resources
Wiley’s above definitions are published with a Creative Commons Attribution licence on his blog post.
Now let’s consolidate our understanding of OER by watching the first few minutes of this visual explanation on the basics of OER. Please watch to 2:17 mins.
Watch: Understanding OER [Watch up to 2:17]
Note: Closed captions are available by clicking on the CC button in the video.
Now that you have an understanding of what an OER is, we’re going to look at how OER relate to the concept of Open Educational Practice (OEP).
Open Educational Prac