A brief introduction to OER and its benefits and challenges for both instructors and students in Adult Basic Education (ABE).

1. Open Education Resources (OER):
The Benefits & Challenges
in the Adult Basic Education
Classroom
Lisa Henthorn
OER 101
Winter 2016
"Education" by GotCredit is licensed under CC BY 2.0

2. What are Open Education Resources (OER)?
• OER are educational materials (texts, articles,
lessons, courses, modules, photographs, etc.)
that are free to use.
• There are two types of OER: open license and
public domain
• Depending on the license, some OER materials
may be modified
"OER (Open Educational Resources) Introduction" by Blink Tower is licensed under CC BY 4.0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFeyCc6we-s

3. What are the benefits of OER?
Benefits for Instructors Benefits for Students
• Provides easy access to resources (no
need to ask for permission).
•Allows instructors to utilize quality,
content specific material for their
courses for free.
•Allows instructors the flexibility to
modify the material to meet their
specific needs.
• Provides a cost savings as students are
able to obtain books and other
classroom materials for free (This is
often a barrier in education).
• Provides students with diverse learning
materials that can include texts,
videos, imagines, learning modules, and
courses.
• Allows for access to material anytime,
anywhere.

4. What are the challenges to OER?
Challenges for Instructors Challenges for Students
• There are more OER for some subjects
than others.
• For the purpose of pre-college classes,
such as ABE, GED and High School
Completion, the level of some OER
material might not be appropriate.
• Finding quality, relevant, and useful
may be difficult and time consuming for
instructors.
• Repurposing OER may be time
consuming for instructors
• Some students may be resistant to
utilizing online material and resources.
• If not properly selected or modified,
the material might not be appropriate
for the students.