Open Educational Resources: Benefits

and Challenges

William S. DurdenPolicy Associate, I-BESTBasic Education for Adults05/18/2015

OER: Benefits and Challenges

Benefits of using OER include:

Lower educational costs for students Greater potential for continuous improvement All course materials are relevant Creates a network of materials for the public

good Increases digital literacy

OER: Benefits and Challenges

Challenges include:

Some students may see OER as less legitimate Requires training for faculty Users must keep up with constantly evolving

technologies Users must have access to devices and internet Often still relies on for-profit resources