UNESCO OER Toolkit

Abstract:

A guide for participating in the international open education commons

This document is aimed at individual academics and decision-makers in higher education institutions that are interested in becoming active participants in the OER world, as publishers and users of OER.

At the beginning of each section there is a short summary to help the reader determine whether the content is applicable to his or her situation.

Most of the Toolkit is designed for academics who are interested in finding and using OER in the courses they teach, or who wish to publish OER that they have developed. The sections have been kept short and to the point. They aim to provide just enough information to get the reader started. Each section ends with a list of references and suggestions for further reading.

Some sections are aimed at institutional decision-makers and academics that interested in setting up a more formal OER project. These projects may start with just a few interested academics but, as they grow, institutional policies, funding and legal constraints become more relevant.

Individuals who are not aiming to set up a institutional project may nonetheless be interested to read the whole document. Likewise, institutional planners, IT staff or librarians who are interested in setting up an OER project would benefit from understanding the academic's perspective.

Finally, there is an audience that we care a great deal about, but who fall outside the scope of this document: the students. Some of the most innovative and successful open education projects are driven or supported by students. Examples of student involvement in OER projects are provided throughout the Toolkit.

Grade Level:

Primary, Secondary, Post-secondary