Exploring Open Educational Resources

Ryan Cox — @rlcox74

What are Open Educational Resources (OERs)?

National Education

Technology Plan -2016

“teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been

released under a license that permits their free use, reuse,

modification, and sharing with others.”

What are Open Educational Resources (OERs)?

Let’s Start with Why…

Let’s Start with Why…1. Increase Equity – All students have access to high quality

learning materials

2. Keep Content Relevant and High Quality – Traditional textbooks are perpetually outdated

3. Empower Teachers – Openly licensed educational resources empower teachers as creative professionals

4. Save Money – Switching to educational materials that are openly licensed enables schools to repurpose funding

— http://tech.ed.gov/open/

Cost of TextbooksPublishing for the K-12 school market is an $8 billion industry, with

three companies - McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - capturing

about 85% of this market

Cost of TextbooksAccording to the U.S.

Consumer Product Safety Commission, backpack-related injuries send an

estimated 5,000 children a year to emergency

rooms. More than 14,000 children are treated annually for injuries.

Social Studies - Textbooks

Other Examples?

Other Examples?

Next Steps?

Thank you!