Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2017).
The following resources highlighted below provide further information on OER policy and initiatives:
Open Educational Resources: From Commitment to Action and the Open Educational Resources: Global Report 2017
Three documents have been developed in the framework of the 2nd World OER Congress. The two documents: Open Educational Resources: From Commitment to Action and the Open Educational Resources: Global Report 2017 provide the outcomes of the six regional consultations and global surveys conducted prior to the 2nd World OER Congress. The third document, Ljubljana OER Action Plan 2017, will be the outcome document of the 2nd World OER Congress and is based on the outputs of the regional consultations, a global online consultation of the document in the months leading up to the Congress and the deliberations of the 2nd World OER Congress. All three documents are complementary and provide a framework for both understanding the current status of OER worldwide and identifying concrete actions to mainstream OER to achieve SDG4.
Open Educational Resources in the Commonwealth 2016
This study on Open Educational Resources in the Commonwealth 2016 by the Commonwealth of Learning was conducted as part of the OER for Skills Development project of COL, supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The objective of the study was to collect baseline data from Commonwealth institutions with respect to the development, use and reuse of OER; the availability of support; and challenges faced in fostering the use of OER. Six research questions were formed, after reviewing previous studies, to analyse the status of OER in the Commonwealth, based on four recommendations of the 2012 Paris OER Declaration.
OER Policy Development Tool
The purpose of the OER Policy Development Tool is to promote the use of OER and scale efforts to full OER programs. The toolkit was developed by the Daniel DeMarte of Tidewater Community College and Amanda Coolidge of BCcampus.
Institutional OER Policy Template
Developed by the Commonwealth of Learning, this document provides a ready to use Institutional OER Policy Template for drafting an Open Educational Resources (OER) policy for an ODL, e-Learning or face-to-face institution.
Government Policy Development Template to Progress Effective Implementation of Open Educational Resources (OER)
Developed by the Commonwealth of Learning, this Government Policy Development Template is designed to help governments to review and develop key policy issues for implementing effective OER policy at national level.
Open Educational Resources Survey
Developed by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), this Open Educational Resources Survey provides an overview of the findings on OER policies and activity across all countries of the world.
Guidelines for Open Educational Resources (OER) in Higher Education
Developed by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), these Guidelines for open educational resources (OER) in higher education outline key issues and make suggestions for integrating OER into higher education. Their purpose is to encourage decision makers in governments and institutions to invest in the systematic production, adaptation and use of OER and to bring them into the mainstream of higher education in order to improve the quality of curricula and teaching and to reduce costs.
World Congresses on Open Educational Resources (OER)
1st World Open Educational Resources Congress held in Paris, France (June, 2012).
2nd World Open Educational Resources Congress held in Ljubljana, Slovenia (September 2017).
