Paper Details

Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational materials that are freely available for use, reuse, adaptation, and sharing. They include a wide range of resources such as textbooks, lectures, quizzes, and simulations, all of which are aimed at improving access to education. This paper examines the extent of use of OER in higher educational institutions through an analytical study. The paper begins by defining OER and discussing its various elements. It highlights the importance of OER in education and the benefits it offers, such as reducing costs for students and increasing access to high-quality educational materials. The paper also discusses the different definitions of OER provided by organizations like UNESCO and scholars like Pawlowski and Bick, as well as the 5R Framework proposed by David Wiley, which outlines the permissions granted to users of OER. The study then reviews the literature on OER and its use in higher education. It discusses initiatives like the UK Open University's Open Learn and Athabasca University's OER collections, which have been successful in promoting the use of OER. The paper also examines the barriers to the use of OER, such as the lack of awareness among educators and the difficulty of finding high-quality OER. Methodologically, the study relies on an extensive literature review, drawing from secondary data accessible in the public domain. The authors have consulted various foreign books, articles, and newspapers, and all the relevant details have been properly documented in the article's reference section. The findings of the study indicate that while there has been significant progress in the use of OER in higher education, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. These include the need for more awareness and training for educators, as well as the need for more high-quality OER.

open educational resources, OER, perceptions of OER, teaching and learning, higher education, technology adoption, open pedagogy