After spending twelve years in the public school system, I feel like most college students are very well-versed in open educational resources, despite not knowing much about the term itself. Open education describes both mundane and technological tools that can be used in an academic setting without any legal repercussions. Some advocates of open education also request that textbooks and resources be free of charge (https://sparcopen.org/open-education/), which I am inclined to agree with. A student with a lower socioeconomic status should have access to the same educational opportunities as more affluent students.
Open content is also critically important in classrooms because it allows teachers and students to modify content to fit lesson plans. There are five key aspects of open education, also known as the "Five Rs." These include retaining copies of the source material, reusing material, remixing and changing material, revising material, and redistributing material. Teachers are allowed a free range of control to teach material, which could cater better to the needs of students and give the teacher more autonomy over the classroom. Open content allows teachers to find variety in their teaching methods, and use sources that are more engaging for their students.
Open educational resources can be "any type of educational material" that is licensed for free, continued use. To me, this includes books, plays, music, and videos that are public domain. These materials often encourage free thought and open discussion. In this blog post, the author states that they reduce the cost of distribution, and cut prices that schools and students would otherwise have to pay. That alone is a compelling argument to continue using these resources. These resources are often found online, which lessens paper production and could potentially improve the environment! (https://opentextbc.ca/studenttoolkit/chapter/step-one-what-are-oer/)
Blog comments: :)
https://lexiijones.blogspot.com/2019/06/as-student-ive-mainly-used-microsoft.html?showComment=1560131512771#c5749867719299380656
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After spending twelve years in the public school system, I feel like most college students are very well-versed in open educational resource...
I definitely agree with your point that through public school, students have a good amount of experience with open educational resources even though we may not understand them well. I think OER are a great tool educators can add to their lesson plans as well. It can help turn a good lesson into a great one that really keeps students engaged. Using OER's expands the lesson and like you said, encourages more free thought from students which is great!
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