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margin-bottom: 4px"><a href="https://ads.universityworldnews.com/bannerclick.php?id=uaeulogo223"><img src="https://ads.universityworldnews.com/bannerview.php?id=uaeulogo223" alt="UAEU Logo" width="223" height="74" border="0"></a></div> </td> <td style="width:489px;margin-left:10px;border-left:1px solid #999;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px" valign="top"> <div><div class="article-body"><div class="story-country">GLOBAL</div> <img src="https://www.universityworldnews.com/mobile/bookmark_icon44.png" alt="bookmark" id="bmi" style="float:right" onclick="bookmark('20240710103159164','Open educational resources can address inequalities in HE');"> <h1 class="botmar4 biggerheading">Open educational resources can address inequalities in HE</h1> <div class="byline-country botmar12"><b><a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/fullsearch.php?mode=search&writer=Libing+Wang" style="white-space: nowrap">Libing Wang</a> and <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/fullsearch.php?mode=search&writer=Tianchong+Wang" style="white-space: nowrap">Tianchong Wang</a></b>  <span style="white-space: nowrap">13 July 2024</span></div> <div style="height:39px"><script src="https://platform.linkedin.com/in.js" type="text/javascript">lang: en_US</script> <div style="float:left;margin-right:8px"><script type="IN/Share" data-url="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240710103159164"></script></div><div style="float:left;margin-right:8px"><a href="https://twitter.com/share?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-share-button" data-show-count="true">Tweet</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/share_button.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.universityworldnews.com%2Fpost.php%3Fstory%3D20240710103159164&layout=button_count&size=small&mobile_iframe=true&width=106&height=28&appId" width="106" height="28" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div> Despite significant progress in expanding global access to higher education, profound inequalities persist. Teaching and learning resources remain prohibitively expensive, creating financial burdens and retention barriers for students. Furthermore, paywalled, copyrighted content limits academics’ ability to adapt materials for local relevance, particularly in the Global South.<br /> <br /> The Open Educational Resources (OERs) movement offers a promising solution by providing high-quality teaching and learning materials that are openly licensed.<br /> <br /> UNESCO has been instrumental in promoting OERs, from the 2002 Forum on the Impact of Open Courseware to the 2012 Paris OER Declaration. The movement gained further momentum with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, particularly SDG 4 on quality education, and was reinforced by the 2017 Ljubljana OER Action Plan.<br /> <br /> Higher education institutions are exploring cost-effective and sustainable integration methods while navigating financial, technological, awareness and capacity challenges.<br /> <br /> But what more is needed to unlock the transformative potential of OERs?<br /> <br /> <b>A wide definition</b><br /> <br /> According to UNESCO’s 2012 Paris OER Declaration, OERs 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 licence that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions”.<br /> <br /> This definition is remarkable in its scope and implications. By including research materials alongside teaching and learning resources, OERs bridge the gap between current research and educational content, thereby enhancing the quality and relevance of higher education programmes.<br /> <br /> The medium-agnostic nature of the definition embraces the diverse higher education landscape. While digital resources like e-books, videos and interactive software are increasingly prevalent, the definition also includes traditional formats, such as printed textbooks.<br /> <br /> This inclusivity ensures that OERs can serve educational needs across various contexts, from highly digitised environments to areas with limited technological access.<br /> <br /> Central to the concept of OERs is the principle of openness, which goes beyond mere no-cost access. The permissions granted by open licensing – often conceptualised as <a href="https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=82522&section=2" target="_new">Wiley’s ‘5 Rs’</a>, which are Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix and Redistribute – truly distinguish OERs from other freely available content.<br /> <br /> These rights enable a level of flexibility and adaptability that can support diverse pedagogical approaches and learning needs.<br /> <br /> <b>Education as a public good</b><br /> <br /> Promoting OERs aligns with UNESCO’s vision of education as a public good, which has expanded beyond basic education to include higher education and lifelong learning. This broadened perspective recognises that higher education should be a fundamental human right for all, not a luxury for a privileged few.<br /> <br /> OERs increase accessibility by providing high-quality resources at minimal or no cost, particularly where traditional educational resources are scarce or unaffordable.<br /> <br /> UNESCO champions OERs to facilitate access to and the creation and sharing of knowledge by people from all backgrounds. The 2017 Ljubljana OER Action Plan urges governments to promote OERs by including them in public funding and procurement strategies for educational materials and services.<br /> <br /> OERs offer numerous benefits for educators and higher education institutions, supporting the development and improvement of educational resources.<br /> <br /> They allow content to be adapted to local contexts, translated into local languages and incorporated with relevant examples. This adaptivity enables customised courses and gives institutions greater control over materials. Additionally, collaborative OER networks facilitate knowledge sharing among educators and institutions.<br /> <br /> For governments, OERs contribute to the democratisation of knowledge by enabling a diverse range of voices and perspectives in educational content. This could lead to more inclusive and culturally relevant learning experiences. As higher education grapples with issues of equity and inclusivity, OERs provide a direct platform to address these challenges.<br /> <br /> <b>Creative Commons licences</b><br /> <br /> A common misconception is that OERs are always in the public domain and completely unrestricted. In reality, OERs are usually published under open licences that grant specific permissions while retaining certain rights for the creators.<br /> <br /> The Creative Commons (CC) licence framework is the most widely adopted framework for OERs.<br /> <br /> CC licences offer a spectrum of standardised methods for granting public permission to use copyrighted works, allowing creators to specify how their work can be used and ensuring flexibility and clarity in the sharing and adaptation of educational resources:<br /> <br /> • Attribution (CC BY): The most permissive, allowing use, modification and distribution, even commercially, with attribution to the creator.<br /> <br /> • Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA): Similar to CC BY, but derivative works must be distributed under the same licence.<br /> <br /> • Attribution-NoDerivs (CC BY-ND): Allows use and distribution, including commercially, but without modification.<br /> <br /> • Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC): Allows use, modification and distribution for non-commercial purposes only, with attribution.<br /> <br /> • Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA): Allows non-commercial use, modification and distribution, with attribution and under the same licence.<br /> <br /> • Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND): The most restrictive, allowing only sharing with attribution for non-commercial purposes, without modification.<br /> <br /> At the far end of the openness spectrum, the Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication (CC0) enables creators to relinquish all copyright protections and dedicate their work to the public domain for maximum sharing and reuse.<br /> <br /> Linking OERs to standardised CC licences benefits higher education institutions by clarifying permissions and restrictions, supporting the seamless integration of OER content and facilitating the creation of derivative works. For example, an educator can confidently adapt a CC BY-licensed textbook to local contexts, while a CC BY-SA licence ensures that any improvements to course materials remain open for future use.<br /> <br /> These standardised licences also streamline content sharing across institutions and borders. Resources with identical CC licences can be easily combined, and the attribution requirement ensures that creators are properly credited. This facilitates the creation of OER repositories and collaborative platforms, fostering a global community of open education practitioners.<br /> <br /> <b>National initiatives and repositories</b><br /> <br /> In an era once dominated by paper-based educational resources, countries invested in high-quality textbooks, often distributed free or at subsidised prices – an early form of OERs. While valuable, traditional textbooks have struggled to meet evolving learner needs, leading to a proliferation of digital learning resources. The expanding knowledge base requires a new approach to informing course content while upholding quality standards.<br /> <br /> The 2017 Ljubljana OER Action Plan underscores the pivotal role of governments in advancing OERs. National initiatives are vital to ensure widespread access to OERs across disciplines and to tailor OERs to specific educational needs.<br /> <br /> These initiatives require continuous government investment and collaboration with leading higher education institutions, including the creation of online OER repositories or directories that serve as centralised platforms for disseminating and exchanging resources.<br /> <br /> Governments or higher education institutions should oversee OER libraries to ensure compliance with international interoperability standards. Content needs to be aligned with national qualifications frameworks (NQFs), local languages and user needs.<br /> <br /> Standardised metadata tagging and recommendation mechanisms enhance discoverability, while features such as evaluations and comments support continuous improvement and quality assurance through peer review.<br /> <br /> Governments should promote the development of OERs in under-served subject areas.<br /> <br /> Analysis of usage data is essential to demonstrate impact and guide improvements. By implementing these strategies, governments can close gaps in OER accessibility across subject areas and ensure that educational resources remain relevant, accessible and of good quality in an evolving higher education landscape.<br /> <br /> <b>Institutional adoption</b><br /> <br /> Although sharing knowledge is the core ethos of higher education, many institutions still prefer to protect their competitive educational resources. This protective approach, often driven by the desire to maintain advantageous positions within specialised disciplines, creates a disconnect between institutional priorities and the economic interests of students.<br /> <br /> Higher education institutions need to recognise the academic benefits of OER adoption. Beyond cost savings for students, OERs can significantly enhance teaching and learning excellence, improve material quality, foster innovative teaching practices and boost student outcomes. Their adaptability supports scalability across various learning contexts, from traditional classrooms to online and blended environments.<br /> <br /> OER activities contribute significantly to higher education institutions’ outreach and social responsibility efforts, potentially enhancing their brand and the perceived value of their programmes. By openly sharing knowledge, institutions affirm their commitment to global education and establish themselves as leaders in academic innovation.<br /> <br /> Trust is paramount to the adoption of OERs. Higher education institutions need to build trust among stakeholders by raising awareness of the value of OERs and addressing misconceptions among faculty, students, administrators and policy-makers. Offering strategic incentives can motivate educators to integrate OERs in teaching, research and community engagement.<br /> <br /> Incorporating OER development into faculty workloads, research activities and performance evaluations helps it to be recognised as a valuable academic contribution on a par with traditional publications.<br /> <br /> <b>Sustainable financial models</b><br /> <br /> While the use of OERs improves access and quality in higher education, concerns remain about the sustainability of OER provision under explicit financial models. It is crucial to address the costs associated with developing and delivering OERs to ensure both accessibility and sustainability without placing significant financial burdens on institutions or learners.<br /> <br /> A dedicated budget for the development and distribution of OERs should be allocated within government expenditures on higher education. This means extending traditional government investment in infrastructure to include content development.<br /> <br /> The 2017 Ljubljana OER Action Plan suggests policies that require publicly funded educational resources to be openly licensed, thereby creating sustainable financial models for OERs.<br /> <br /> To secure long-term sustainability, governments and higher education institutions should explore innovative financial models, such as partnerships among educational institutions, non-profit organisations and the private sector.<br /> <br /> Collaboration with international organisations and development partners can pool resources for OER creation and distribution and promote cost-sharing mechanisms. Crowd-funding, alumni contributions and corporate sponsorship could support OER projects, especially those that address industry needs or social impact objectives.<br /> <br /> <b>Labelling</b><br /> <br /> Clear and precise labelling is essential for the effective integration of OERs into different learning environments. It improves discoverability, relevance and accessibility for learners and educators, supports quality assurance and facilitates integration into formal and non-formal education systems. Clear labelling also facilitates accreditation and recognition of learning outcomes, which is crucial for formal education and professional development.<br /> <br /> Aligning OER with national qualifications frameworks is a powerful labelling strategy. NQFs classify qualifications at different levels, each defined by expected learning outcomes. This alignment enables the portability, transferability and accumulation of OERs within national learning ecosystems.<br /> <br /> In addition, the development of an open educational metadata standard will significantly enhance the discoverability of OERs, simplifying the search for resources tailored to specific learning objectives.<br /> <br /> Comprehensive labelling should specify delivery modalities, assessment arrangements and the origin of resources. Labels should also indicate whether resources are developed by higher education institutions, employers, private sector entities, professional bodies or collaborative efforts.<br /> <br /> This transparency allows users to comprehend the stakeholders involved in the development and delivery of OERs and provides context for the creation and potential applications of these resources. It also streamlines quality assurance processes, facilitating the review and evaluation of resources.<br /> <br /> <b>Linguistic and cultural diversity</b><br /> <br /> The adoption of OERs poses the challenge of preserving linguistic and cultural diversity while effectively utilising these resources. Market dynamics often favour mainstream languages and cultures, which can marginalise indigenous and minority languages and cultures, particularly in ethnically diverse countries.<br /> <br /> The 2017 Ljubljana OER Action Plan emphasises the importance of providing OERs in multiple languages, including indigenous languages. However, significant disparities exist in the availability of OERs beyond English, highlighting the need for greater linguistic inclusivity.<br /> <br /> Integrating cultural diversity into OERs involves more than translation; it requires adapting content to reflect different cultural perspectives and experiences. This approach increases the relevance and effectiveness of OERs for learners from diverse backgrounds.<br /> <br /> Educators and learners should be empowered with support and professional development opportunities to create and utilise culturally and linguistically appropriate OERs. Collaborative content creation involving instructional designers, educators and learners from diverse backgrounds enriches OER repositories and deepens cultural understanding.<br /> <br /> Engaging with local communities ensures linguistic and cultural authenticity, promoting inclusivity and respect for diversity.<br /> <br /> Higher education institutions in developing countries need to be equipped with the capacity to create and disseminate their own OERs. This strategy encourages active engagement in knowledge creation rather than passive consumption, fostering global, equitable collaboration and knowledge sharing.<br /> <br /> Promoting reciprocal exchanges of high-quality content and pedagogical practices between countries and institutions can significantly diversify educational resources for learners worldwide.<br /> <br /> <b>Flexible learning pathways</b><br /> <br /> The 2012 Paris OER Declaration stresses the important role of OERs in facilitating access to education across formal and non-formal settings and in promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Seamlessly integrated into diverse educational environments, OERs enable learners to bridge knowledge gaps, obtain micro-credentials or accumulate credits towards full qualifications.<br /> <br /> This flexibility enables ‘fit-for-purpose’ learning, where individuals can curate modular content from diverse sources to pursue niche topics beyond the constraints of time and place. To realise the full potential of OERs, higher education institutions should introduce flexibility into their programmes. This involves unbundling rigid degree structures to allow students to accumulate credits and micro-credentials at their own pace.<br /> <br /> OER content should explicitly define learning outcomes that are aligned with NQFs and incorporate effective credentialing processes, such as badging, to authenticate the mastery of pertinent competencies. Collaborative efforts between institutions and OER providers further facilitate flexible learning pathways, including personalised pathways that extend beyond traditional institutional boundaries.<br /> <br /> With OERs, individual learners can explore extensive or specialised learning experiences that cater to diverse needs and preferences, enabling them to upskill, reskill or pursue personal interests through tailored pathways. The inclusivity and flexibility inherent in OERs expand learning spaces and contribute to creating a society where learners can engage in learning anytime and anywhere.<br /> <br /> <b>Concerted efforts </b><br /> <br /> As higher education continues to evolve, the importance of OERs goes beyond being free learning resources: they democratise knowledge, promote inclusivity and bridge educational gaps. The global commitment to OERs envisions higher education as a public good accessible to all, transcending geographical, financial and cultural barriers.<br /> <br /> However, achieving this vision demands concerted efforts from all stakeholders.<br /> <br /> Governments should prioritise OER policies and funding to support their development and distribution. Quality OER repositories aligned with national and global quality frameworks should be established, with public-private partnerships ensuring sustainability.<br /> <br /> Higher education institutions should incorporate OER objectives into institutional strategic planning to strengthen their development and adoption capacity. Integrating OERs into flexible learning pathways is crucial for achieving widespread impact.<br /> <br /> International cooperation between countries and institutions in sharing knowledge, developing common frameworks, building capacity and pooling resources enhances OER adoption and preserves cultural diversity in higher education.<br /> <br /> These efforts will undoubtedly pave the way for a future of higher education characterised by equity, inclusivity and quality while fostering lifelong learning opportunities for all.<br /> <br /> <I>Dr Libing Wang is chief of section for education at the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr Tianchong Wang is a lecturer in STEM in Innovative Education Futures, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Australia.</I><br /> <br /> <I>This article is a commentary. 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