my first blog post for OLTD 505 focused on the affordability of the resources and the technology to access to the latest learning materials, I feel I am needed to get a better understanding of what Open Education Resources (OER’s) are.
Open Education Resources generally are digital resources that are offered to educators at little or no cost over the internet and used for educational purposes. Depending on the license agreement, user of the materials may modify, remix, redistribute or may only be allowed to use the materials in its original
form. As some open resources do not always comply with “accessibility requirements” there are some downsides for users with disabilities (EDUCAUSE, 2010). Open Education Resources, on the other hand, are appealing to a variety of educational institutions worldwide because “the presentation of the text, including visual appeal, organization, and readability, the online accessibility, the alignment of text content with classroom content, and economic efficiency all seem to play a part” (Bliss,Hilton, Wioley & Thonas, 2013).
Although I am educator with more than 15 years of teaching experience ranging from grades 4-7, I am constantly looking for new ways to enhance the learning potential of the students that I teach. As people have the ability to acquire new or modify existing knowledge, behavior, skills or values, they have the ability to learn. When students are provided with the opportunity to “choose” and “direct” their own learning, students will become more engaged in their learning. Independent learners have the freedom and choice to engage in self-directed and open ended online learning. With the continued growth of the internet, the ability to gain and acquire knowledge through online educational resources continues to grow. Tracy Cameron points out that “With Open Education more students will have access to current information and the opportunity to further their education” and the “global movement will make education available to all” (2013).
Bliss, T., Hilton, J., Wioley, D., & Thonas, K. (2013). The cost and quality of open textbooks: Perceptions of community college faculty and students. First Monday, 18(1), Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3972/3383
Cameron, T. (2013, April 28). [Web blog message]. Retrieved from http://tracyslearningjourney.weebly.com/12/post/2013/04/why-open-education-and-open-educational-resources-matter.html
EDUCAUSE. "7 Things You Should Know about Open Educational Resources". June 2010. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on April 29, 2013 http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELi7061.pdf.