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While it would be impossible to cover all the various myths pertaining to the development and usage of OER, it is important to address some of the most common.
1. Myth: OER are not really free
OER are considered free materials because they can be freely shared and modified under a free license like Creative Commons. They are free for the end user. However, it must be noted that the development of any educational material is not entirely free to the creator. There is the cost of creation, adoption, and distribution to take into consideration, as well as the time value of those that modify those materials to keep them up to date. OER created under the CCL can lower the “cost” of educational materials through open licensing, a reduction in the cost of updating (because they can be modified by anyone), and distribution (cheaper print production and use of online open publishing (Snoek-Brown, 2017).
2. Myth: OER are hard to Find
In this handbook we have provided various suggestions on where to look for OER. As they become more mainstream, these materials will become even easier to find. There are various repositories that provide access to OER. There exist search engines which allow users to undertake subject-specific OER searches. A key benefit of OER is that if materials cannot be found, an OER can be created and developed so that the creator and others can benefit from them(Snoek-Brown, 2017).
3. Myth: OERs mean only digital materials.
Educators have expressed that their students want hard copy of materials such as worksheets or physical textbooks. OERs can easily be printed and used, based on their License. While it is true that most OERs start off digitally, this is only because it makes materials easier to develop and create. There is no rule that demands that OER only digital. Therefore, OER can be used in print as well (Kalshoven, 2014).
4. Myth: OER means giving away your intellectual property rights
Under a traditional model, a work is created and entered into a contract of copyright. If considering this on a formal level, when an author signs a copyright agreement, they are often agreeing to transfer copyright as defined by the specific contract agreement. In essence, they may be waiving their rights to their intellectual property. A Creative Commons License is a different type of contract that is applied to OER. Publishing under Creative Commons allows authors to grant permission to others to use their work based on specific criteria. This allows others to use the work but authors are still in charge of their intellectual property. Of course, this is assisted by the legally sound language of the Creative Commons License (Snoek-Brown, 2017).
5. Myth: OER lead to using unverified, low-quality materials by teachers and students
Assuring the quality of materials is the same whether they are OER or traditional materials. Materials are higher in quality when reviewed by institutions and experts and are lower when only discovered on the web without verification. Like any resources, teachers should critically evaluate the OER to ensure it is accurate and aligns with their course. More and more textbooks are being reviewed by experts in the field, and OERs are becoming higher in quality as they become more mainstream (Snoek-Brown, 2017).
Quotable Quotes
“The Every Student Succeeds Act highlights “openly licensed content” in its definition of digital learning. These resources can enhance and strengthen students educational experiences. This law allows states to use grants provided by Title IX to support projects that make materials widely available through the use and development of Open Educational Resources (Sparks, 2017). ”
Did you know?
A study conducted at the University of Georgia found that classes using OER had lower DFW rates, especially for students who are pell-eligible and part-time students (Colvard, Watson, and Park, 2018).
Additional OER Resources
OER Research Toolkit – Open Education Group
http://openedgroup.org/toolkit
Open Educational Resources (OER)- A Toolkit for Teachers, Curriculum and eLearning Developers
Faculty OER Toolkit
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/facultyoertoolkit/
OER Student Toolkit
https://opentextbc.ca/studenttoolkit/
References
1.Colvard, N., Watson, C.E., & Park, H. (2018). The impact of open educational resources on various student success metrics. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(2), 262-276.
