{"id":16186,"date":"2023-12-14T01:49:30","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T01:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/?page_id=16186"},"modified":"2023-12-14T01:49:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T01:49:30","slug":"defining-oer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/learning-pathways\/defining-oer\/defining-oer\/","title":{"rendered":"Defining OER"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content\" class=\"mw-body container\" role=\"main\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<div id=\"bodyContent\">\n<div id=\"mw-content-text\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"mw-content-ltr\">\n<div class=\"floatright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Clav-110261531.jpg\" class=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Clav-110261531.jpg\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/thumb\/0\/0d\/Clav-110261531.jpg\/320px-Clav-110261531.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"217\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Our collective understanding of the definition of OER is maturing in parallel with increased adoption of open education in our formal education institutions around the world. In nurturing the development of a sustainable open education ecosystem, there is growing consensus that a definition of OER ideally needs to incorporate three interrelated dimensions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li> <b><a href=\"#Educational_values:_OER_should_be_free\">Educational values<\/a><\/b>: OER should be <i>free<\/i>;\n<\/li>\n<li> <b><a href=\"#Pedagogical_utility:_The_5R_framework\">Pedagogical utility<\/a><\/b>: OER should embed the permissions of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/opencontent.org\/blog\/archives\/3221\">5Rs<\/a> (reuse, revise, remix, redistribute and retain); and\n<\/li>\n<li>  <b><a href=\"#Technology_and_media_choices\">Technology enablers<\/a><\/b>: Technology and media choices should not restrict the permissions of the 5R framework.<br style=\"clear:both;\">\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Each component is summarised below.\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Educational_values:_OER_should_be_free\">Educational values: OER should be free<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When thinking about the <b>free<\/b> in OER, many people associate this with learning content which is accessible at no-cost to the user. However, <i>free<\/i> also refers to personal liberty &#8212; the freedom or permission to act without restriction. Consequently, there are two dimensions which need to be considered under the meaning of free in OER: no-cost (gratis) and the freedoms of the users (liberty).\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>OER must be accessible at no-cost to the user (gratis)<\/b>\n<dl>\n<dd>To qualify as OER, there must always be a version of the materials freely accessible at no-cost to the user. This does not necessarily imply that distributors of OER content may not charge for packaging, distribution or value-added services, but it <b>does<\/b> require that a version of the OER is always available at <b>no-cost<\/b>. Consider for example the <a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/OER_Handbook\/educator_version_one\" title=\"OER Handbook\/educator version one\">OER Handbook<\/a> hosted on WikiEducator. Educators are free to use, adapt or modify a copy of the <a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/OER_Handbook\/educator_version_one\" title=\"OER Handbook\/educator version one\">OER Handbook<\/a> at no cost. Moreover, users are free to copy the <a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/OER_Handbook\/educator_version_one\" title=\"OER Handbook\/educator version one\">OER Handbook<\/a> and host this on any website of their choosing or print the book themselves. Some users may choose to purchase a bound version of the OER Handbook from <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lulu.com\/product\/paperback\/open-educational-resources-handbook-for-educators-version-10\/3396434\">Lulu.com<\/a> or <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lulu.com\/shop\/seth-gurell\/open-educational-resources-for-educators-version-10-color-edition\/ebook\/product-17426285.html\">download a version<\/a> at no-cost on the <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lulu.com\">Lulu.com<\/a> website. Other examples:  <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/\">OpenStax<\/a>, is a non-profit organisation that publishes open textbooks where you can download a free pdf version of a textbook or choose to purchase a printed version of the text; The <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/open.bccampus.ca\/find-open-textbooks\/\">BCcampus Open Textbook<\/a> project also provides freed download of open texts in a variety of formats with the option to purchase affordable print versions with the choice of black and white or full colour.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>OER should respect the freedoms of the users (liberty)<\/b>\n<dl>\n<dd>The freedoms of OER users are derived from the <a href=\"\/Wikieducator_tutorial\/What_is_free_content\/Freedom_as_concept#The_essential_freedoms\" title=\"Wikieducator tutorial\/What is free content\/Freedom as concept\">essential freedoms<\/a> of the free software movement. They are encapsulated in the original 4R framework (reuse, revise, remix, redistribute) and decisions about technology and media choices below.\n<\/dd>\n<dd>For instance, restricting the right to earn a living from OER can be considered a material restriction of the essential freedoms and rights to redistribute OER. Consequently the <a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/OERF:Home\" title=\"OERF:Home\">OER Foundation<\/a> does not advocate the use of the non-commercial restriction as in the case of some OER projects. The discussion on user freedoms in the context of OER is a complex debate and falls outside the ambit of this unit. However, you can read more about these issues in the <a href=\"#Further_reading_.28optional.29\">suggested readings<\/a> below.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Pedagogical_utility:_The_5R_framework\">Pedagogical utility: The 5R framework<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"key points\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_key_points.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Key points<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>With OER you are free to:\n<\/p>\n<table class=\"cquote\" style=\"margin:auto; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; background-color: transparent; width: auto;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"20\" valign=\"top\" style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 10px;\"> \u201c\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\">\n<ol>\n<li> <b>Reuse<\/b> &#8211; the right to reuse the content in its unaltered \/ verbatim form (e.g., make a digital copy of the content)\n<\/li>\n<li> <b>Revise<\/b> &#8211; the right to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language or modify a learning activity)\n<\/li>\n<li> <b>Remix<\/b> &#8211; the right to combine the original or revised content with other content to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)\n<\/li>\n<li> <b>Redistribute<\/b> &#8211; the right to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"20\" valign=\"bottom\" style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 10px;\"> \u201d\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"3\" class=\"cquotecite\" style=\"border: none; padding-right: 4%\">\n<p style=\"font-size: smaller; text-align: right;\"><cite style=\"font-style: normal;\">\u2014David Wiley<sup id=\"cite_ref-wiley_1-0\" class=\"reference\"><a href=\"#cite_note-wiley-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/cite><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nContent is open to the extent that its permissions enable users to engage in the 4R activities. Content is less open to the extent that its permissions restrict users access (e.g., forbidding derivative works or prohibiting commercial use) to the 4R activities.\n<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"The_5th_R\">The 5<sup>th<\/sup> R<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>David Wiley original proposed the &#8220;4R framework&#8221; for OER and then after a number of years drawing on the maturation of the field added a 5th component.\n<\/p>\n<p>In the academic world, open access publishing has gained considerable momentum. In less than a decade, open access has reached the tipping point where there are more academic papers available for free when compared to paid access in many fields of study<sup id=\"cite_ref-2\" class=\"reference\"><a href=\"#cite_note-2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup>. However, notwithstanding the impressive progress with open access, many publishers require that the original authors sign-off ownership of their work to the journal which restricts the original authors from reusing and adapting their own work. Conversely, learners who wish to share the outputs of their creative efforts using open licenses, for example, in reflections posted in discussion forums in the university learning management system, may lose access to their learning artefacts when the course is completed.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"key points\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_key_points.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Key points<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<table class=\"cquote\" style=\"margin:auto; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; background-color: transparent; width: auto;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"20\" valign=\"top\" style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 10px;\"> \u201c\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\"> This leads me to feel that the time has come to add a 5th R to my framework \u2013 \u201cretain\u201d:<\/p>\n<p>5. &#8216;<b>Retain<\/b> &#8211; the right to make, own and control copies of the content.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"20\" valign=\"bottom\" style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 10px;\"> \u201d\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"3\" class=\"cquotecite\" style=\"border: none; padding-right: 4%\">\n<p style=\"font-size: smaller; text-align: right;\"><cite style=\"font-style: normal;\">\u2014David Wiley, 2014<sup id=\"cite_ref-3\" class=\"reference\"><a href=\"#cite_note-3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/cite><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nIn practice, it would not be possible for users to engage in remix activities without access to the original resource. &#8220;Retain&#8221; as the 5<sup>th<\/sup>R is therefore subsumed in the 4R activities. It its useful to note that Wiley&#8217;s purpose with the 5R framework is to help educators understand and remember the key permissions associated with OER<sup id=\"cite_ref-4\" class=\"reference\"><a href=\"#cite_note-4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup>.\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Technology_and_media_choices\">Technology and media choices<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Digital technologies are the enablers for the original 4Rs above. However, technology and media choices can also restrict the 4R activities. There are two important considerations pertaining to technology and media choices for OER:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li> Access to the tools required for editing, and\n<\/li>\n<li> Ensuring that OER is meaningfully editable.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In both instances, the minimum requirement is to adopt <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Open_standard\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:Open standard\">open standards<\/a> for storing OER. An open standard refers to file formats which are publicly available with unencumbered rights to use the standards or specification concerned. For example, the open web is built upon the specifications of the <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Wide_Web_Consortium\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:World Wide Web Consortium\">World Wide Web Consortium<\/a> which ensures that all browsers can implement the protocols on a royalty free basis. In this way, both free software and closed software browsers can access and interpret the digital information on the world wide web.\n<\/p>\n<p>Similarly OER should be stored and distributed using open standards and formats which are easily editable. In this way we can ensure that:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li> All users will have unrestricted access to the tools required to revise and remix OER content. All users should be free to use the software of their choice, and should not be required to sacrifice their freedoms or be forced to purchase software licenses in order to participate freely in the 4Rs. Therefore, digital content which necessitates the user to acquire a software license in order to modify or adapt the source materials imposes restrictions in the 4R activities. So for example, video files should avoid using closed file formats like <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_Media_Video\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:Windows Media Video\">Windows Media Video (WMV)<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/FLV\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:FLV\">Flash Video Format (FLV)<\/a> which may force some users to sacrifice their freedoms by requiring the installation of patented or encumbered codecs for editing these files. Educators and OER developers should be encouraged to respect the freedoms of future users by providing <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Free_file_format#Examples_of_open_formats\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:Free file format\">open file formats<\/a> of their creative works.\n<\/li>\n<li> All users have the capacity to edit an OER to suit their local needs. For example, while the <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pdf\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"w:Pdf\">Portable Document Format (PDF)<\/a> is an open standard for document exchange it is not easy to edit other than minor changes. OER offered in this format only cannot be revised easily for suitable local use.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Any_questions.3F\">Any questions?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"questions\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_qmark.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Questions<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Do you have any questions or thoughts about the definition of OER? Feel free to join the discussion on <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/forums.oeru.org\/t\/lida103-definition-of-oer\/328\">forums.oeru.org<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Further_reading_.28optional.29\">Further reading (optional)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"reading\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_reading.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Reading<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li> <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/freedomdefined.org\/Licenses\/NC\">Reasons why not to use the Non-Commercial restriction<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/Say_Libre\" title=\"Say Libre\">Say Libre<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/Wikieducator_tutorial\/What_is_free_content\" title=\"Wikieducator tutorial\/What is free content\">What is free content?<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li> <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/freedomdefined.org\/Definition\">Free Cultural Works definition<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Notes\">Notes<\/span><\/h2>\n<ol class=\"references\">\n<li id=\"cite_note-wiley-1\"><span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\"><a href=\"#cite_ref-wiley_1-0\">\u2191<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"reference-text\">#Wiley, D. (No Date). <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/opencontent.org\/definition\/\">Defining the &#8220;Open&#8221; in Open Content<\/a>. Retrieved 27 December 2010.<\/span>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"cite_note-2\"><span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\"><a href=\"#cite_ref-2\">\u2191<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"reference-text\">Paun, C. 2013.  <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.universityworldnews.com\/article.php?story=20130823125333764\">Open access reaches tipping point in sciences \u2013 Study<\/a>. University World News, 23 August 2013 Issue No:284.<\/span>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"cite_note-3\"><span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\"><a href=\"#cite_ref-3\">\u2191<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"reference-text\">David Wiley. 2014. <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/opencontent.org\/blog\/archives\/3221\">The Access compromise and the 5th R<\/a>, 5 March 2014.<\/span>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"cite_note-4\"><span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\"><a href=\"#cite_ref-4\">\u2191<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"reference-text\">Wiley, D. 2014. <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/opencontent.org\/blog\/archives\/3251\">Clarifying the 5th R<\/a>, 15 March 2014.<\/span>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><!-- \nNewPP limit report\nCPU time usage: 0.072 seconds\nReal time usage: 0.081 seconds\nPreprocessor visited node count: 642\/1000000\nPreprocessor generated node count: 1750\/1000000\nPost\u2010expand include size: 14984\/2097152 bytes\nTemplate argument size: 7035\/2097152 bytes\nHighest expansion depth: 8\/40\nExpensive parser function count: 0\/100\n--><\/p>\n<p><!-- Saved in parser cache with key we_en-mw_:pcache:idhash:182593-0!*!0!!en!2!* and timestamp 20231214014930 and revision id 1078148\n -->\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"visualClear\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n<ul class=\"pager\">\n<li class=\"previous\">\n            <a href=\"\/lida103\/learning-pathways\/defining-oer\/oer-definitions\">\u2190 Previous<\/a>\n          <\/li>\n<li class=\"next\">\n            <a href=\"\/lida103\/learning-pathways\/defining-oer\/oer-enabled-pedagogy\">Next \u2192<\/a>\n          <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"wenote-ids\"><script type='text\/javascript' id='wenotes-ids'>\n    var WEnotesSite = \"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\";\n    var WEnotesPath = \"\/Learning_in_a_digital_age\/LiDA103\/Defining_OER\/Defining_OER\";\n    var WEnotesSiteID = \"0e3d258fbd36841f92259eefcd41d5e9\";\n    var WEnotesPathID = \"eda85a0ba05adaedb89187b59efb2d41\";\n    var WEnotesIDs = { site: \"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\", path: \"\/Learning_in_a_digital_age\/LiDA103\/Defining_OER\/Defining_OER\", site_id: \"0e3d258fbd36841f92259eefcd41d5e9\", path_id: \"eda85a0ba05adaedb89187b59efb2d41\" };\n<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer><\/footer>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our collective understanding of the definition of OER is maturing in parallel with increased adoption of open education in our formal education institutions around the world. In nurturing the development of a sustainable open education ecosystem, there is growing consensus that a definition of OER ideally needs to incorporate three interrelated dimensions: Educational values: OER [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":16176,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-16186","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16186"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16187,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16186\/revisions\/16187"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/lida103\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}