Benefits of OER
The potential of the OER movement has been well documented and demonstrated in important national (JISC in UK, NSF in USA) and international (OECD, UNESCO, the EU) organizations' reports as well as in academic literature (Sclater, 2011; Smith & Casserly, 2006; Johnstone, 2005). In this section, the benefits are highlighted according to stakeholder status, such as self-learners, faculty, and institutions.
For self-learners.
An MIT OCW evaluation report found that the great majority of visitors were self-learners (49%) who used the site for improving personal knowledge (56%), keeping themselves up to date in their fields (16%), and planning future study (14%; Carson, 2006).
In his paper, Stacey (2007) explained that OERs are valuable to individuals who are willing to educate themselves because they have a coherent structure that provides broad choices in accessing educational resources. Individuals are not responsible for tuition fees, prerequisites, or strict learning methods, making OERs very convenient for self-regulated learners. He further argues that to use digital material by seeking legal permission can take too much time (weeks, even months); on the other hand, in OERs, educators can use these recourses without these time and effort taking permission procedures.
According to an OECD (2007) report, OER is likely to change the traditional teaching structure and create more independent learners, increasing demand for assessment of competencies gained outside of formal learning settings.
Source:
Kursun, E., Cagiltay, K., & Can, G. (2014). An investigation of faculty perspectives
on barriers, incentives, and benefits of the OER movement in
turkey. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(6)
Retrieved from https://login.proxy199.nclive.org/login?
url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/investigation-faculty-
perspectives-on-barriers/docview/1634145672/se-2
For faculty.
Faculty is another group who can benefit from the OER movement. As found in the evaluation study conducted by MIT OCW staff, 16% of visitors to the site were educators, 32% students, and 49% self-learners (Carson, 2006). Although the percentage of educator users was the lowest, results indicate that approximately 2 million educators have used MIT OCW, with 96% of educators who participated in the study saying it helped them to enhance their teaching (Carson, 2007). Preston (2006) further reported a number of benefits for MIT faculty who participated in the MIT OCW initiative, such as providing an archive, increasing academic recognition, and making connections with other academicians (Preston, 2006).
Johnstone (2005) explained some faculty benefits of the OER movement by claiming that it may offer new collaboration opportunities between and across departments, since viewing OER content can illustrate overlaps in content. On most traditional campuses, faculty do not see syllabi or teaching materials of others, even in the same department, but OER allows faculty to see how colleagues approach the same concepts.
Source:
Kursun, E., Cagiltay, K., & Can, G. (2014). An investigation of faculty perspectives
on barriers, incentives, and benefits of the OER movement in
turkey. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(6)
Retrieved from https://login.proxy199.nclive.org/login?
url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/investigation-faculty-
perspectives-on-barriers/docview/1634145672/se-2
For institutions.
The OER movement can significantly reduce curriculum development by providing both time and monetary savings. This benefit is particularly valid for courses that include multimedia materials such as illustrations or animations (Potter, 2003).
OER could also help institutions in other countries establish new curriculums (Sclater, 2011). For instance, as suggested by Smith and Casserly (2006), the John Hopkins School of Public Health could use OER to guide the design and development of public health programs in developing countries.
D'Antoni (2009) pointed out numerous benefits of the OER movement for institutions:
Sharing knowledge is congruent with the academic tradition; Taxpayer's money is leveraged through the free sharing of resources; the cost of content development can be reduced and quality may be improved; the public image of the institution may be enhanced and new students attracted; with increasing competition, institutions need to identify new cost-recovery models. (p. 6)
In a recent OER report by UNESCO and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), three main benefits to institutions were highlighted. First, with the OER movement, institutions can attract new students. It may also enhance the reputation of an institution by promoting public service. Finally, dissemination of research results can attract funding.
Source:
Kursun, E., Cagiltay, K., & Can, G. (2014). An investigation of faculty perspectives
on barriers, incentives, and benefits of the OER movement in
turkey. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(6)
Retrieved from https://login.proxy199.nclive.org/login?
url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/investigation-faculty-
perspectives-on-barriers/docview/1634145672/se-2