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OER: Free Like a Beer, or Free Like a Puppy?

Edsurge

I heard this question six years ago after it was raised at a major publishing conference. Those in the puppy camp argued, with good reason, that free curricula and OER content were hardly free once the related costs and risks were factored in. Is free curriculum content like a free beer or a free puppy?

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How a University Took on the Textbook Industry

Edsurge

And some credit it for helping kick-start a trend—now known as open educational resources, or OER—that has sent shockwaves through the traditional publishing industry. Some professors have aesthetic objections to OER materials. By the nonprofit’s estimates, more than half of U.S. colleges use at least one. Because most U.S.

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The CARE Framework

Iterating Toward Openness

As the title of the document makes explicit, the framework aims to contribute to the conversation about the sustainability of OER: “Toward a Sustainable OER Ecosystem: The Case for OER Stewardship” It’s a valuable contribution to that conversation. I struggle to see how this will be possible.

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In Search of OER’s Future and Edtech’s Missing Evidence at SXSW EDU

Edsurge

Speakers at this week’s SXSW EDU conference in Austin wasted no time before diving into taboo topics. Austin, Texas outside of the SXSW EDU conference And that was just the start. While OER was presented as one way to ease course material costs, other challenges remain, starting with understanding and awareness of what the term means.

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The Sleight of Hand of “Free” vs “Affordable”

Iterating Toward Openness

In a recent webinar about OER, organized by one of the major textbook publishers, there was a lot of conversation about whether OER are “free” or “affordable.” Before I begin though, just to be clear, allow me to reaffirm that OER are free, plain and simple, full stop, period. OER = free + permissions.

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The 2018 ‘Horizon Report’ Is Late. But It Almost Never Emerged.

Edsurge

Barajas-Murphy says that Educause is already starting the planning for the 2019 Horizon Report for higher education, which is scheduled for release in February, at the group’s ELI conference. Open educational resources (OER) have been included as key trends since 2013, for example.

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ISTE Librarians’ Takeaways (Crowdsourced)

NeverEndingSearch

For instance, Kasey Bell generously shared her own resource-packed presentations on her Shake Up Learning Blog prior to the conference. I was honored to join several esteemed colleagues to present on the panel: Leading the Charge: Leveraging Librarian Leadership to Support the OER Journey. Here are our slides. I am the input queen.