Why Open Educational Resources are Essential in eLearning

Abstract

The free sharing of open educational resources (OER) can be seen as essential for promoting the creation of content usable in elearning. OER can be effective in reducing the knowledge divide that separates and partitions societies. Educators worldwide continue to face significant challenges related to providing increased access to high quality learning, while containing or reducing costs. New developments in information technology, especially with tablets, phablets, mobile phones and different gaming devices, highlight the shortcomings and challenges for the traditional education community, as well as those of more flexible providers, such as open universities. Such developments have the potential to increase access and flexibility in education by rendering it ubiquitous. Basic education for all continues to be a goal that challenges – and will continue to challenge – many countries. OER for elearning, can be used to overcome many of the obstacles faced by both learners and educators.This growing trend toward ubiquitous computing using the power of networks and mobile devices has opened the door for learners and instructors to access the world’s knowledge from almost anywhere, at anytime. The internet houses the world’s treasure of knowledge. In this context the role of OER in providing learners and teachers with learning content and applications and educational applications is becoming increasingly more relevant. It can be argued that OER are essential in educational contexts. Commercial applications and content come with use limitations that include digital locks and legal prohibitions.