Introduction:
A big factor that affects the accessibility of Education to everyone is the high cost of learning materials which creates a heavy barrier for many people. Open Educational Resources (OER) aims to remove these obstacles by providing free and adaptable educational content. Dr. Cable Green is a leader in open education and the director of open education at Creative Commons. His goal is to make learning accessible as this will shape the future of education.
Benefits of OER
Through some research, multiple benefits are identified. A very significant advantage of OER is the overall ability to reduce financial burdens for many students. A main factor that limits access to necessary learning materials would be textbooks as they are very expensive. OER is freely available and openly licensed which allows educators and students to access high quality resources without having to worry financially. In addition, this allows flexibility for educators who are able to adapt and adjust their materials so that it can better suit a student’s needs and overall curriculum. This positively affects learning experiences as it becomes more personalized to the user. OER is known for its collaborations among institutions which creates a culture of shared knowledge; a positive impact to all learners.
Many students have positively been impacted by the implementation of open educational resources. Students who come from low-income families who previously struggled to afford textbooks now have free access to high quality learning materials. In addition, there are even students in remote areas of the world who have gained educational resources that used to be unavailable to them. Through this link https://ocw.mit.edu/stories/, I was able to grasp a deeper understanding as to how much of an impact this creates to students worldwide, as it provides stories of actual people who have been benefited from this.
As a student, I completely understand the financial stress when it comes to purchasing textbooks; a necessity for school. Tuition is already very expensive and on top of that school necessities are too, causing an extra burden. I would love it if more courses adopted OER, as it would significantly ease this stress and make learning materials more accessible. I think a big advantage to this would also be the ability to customize learning materials to fit different learning styles. This can boost student comprehension and engagement in learning. As I watched his discussion and did some research I really love how he’s committed to making education more accessible and inclusive. I hope that universities can take steps to integrate this into our education system as it would create an amazing impact in every student’s life.
