A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources/TOC

by Neil Butcher

Contents

Acknowledgements		1
Overview of the Guide		3
A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources: Frequently asked questions		5
	What are Open Educational Resources (OER)?	5
	Is OER the same as e-learning?	5
	Is OER the same as open learning/open education?	6
	Is OER related to the concept of resource-based learning?	7
	How open is an open licence?	8
	What is the difference between OER and open access publishing?	9
	Shouldn't I worry about 'giving away' my intellectual property?	9
	Who will guarantee the quality of OER?	12
	How can education benefit by harnessing OER?	13
	Is OER really free?	14
	Does use of OER preclude use of commercial content?	16
	What policy changes are needed for institutions to make more effective use of OER?	16
	What are the best ways to build capacity in OER?	17
	Where do I find OER?	18
	How can I share my OER with others?	19
	How much can I change OER for my own purposes?	20
Making the Case for Open Educational Resources		23
	Introduction	23
	Defining the concept	24
	The implications for educational planners and decision-makers	39
	Conclusion	44
	References	45
Appendix One: Overview of Open Licences		47
	Introduction	47
	Creative Commons Licences	48
	Appendix References	52
Appendix Two: The Components of a Well-Functioning Distance Education system		53
	The Components	53
	The Rationale for Use of Distance Education Methods	55
Appendix Three: Technology Applications		57
Appendix Four: Open Source Software Applications in Education		61
	References	64
Appendix Five: Mapping the OER Terrain Online		65
	Introduction	65
	OCW OER Repositories	65
	University OCW Initiatives	70
	Subject-Specific OCW OER	74
	Content Creation Initiatives	78
	Open Schooling Initiatives	81
	OCW OER Search	84
	Conclusion	85
Appendix Six: A Catalogue of OER-Related Websites		87
	OCW OER Repositories	88
	Open Schooling Initiatives	92
	OCW OER Search	93
	University OCW Initiatives	95
	Subject-Specific OCW-OER	104
	OER Tools	109
	Other OER Sources	113
Appendix Seven: Some OER Policy Issues in Distance Education		115
Appendix Eight: OER Policy Review Process		123
Appendix Nine: Skills Requirements for Work in Open Educational Resources		131