Festival of Learning 2018

The open educational resources (OER) movement has grown considerably in the past decade. With this growth, we have seen new players enter the open education space from commercial publishers to learning platform companies. The entrance of these new players into the space is part of a larger shift in the course materials market as technology has changed both access to knowledge and the way students learn. New actors are putting considerable pressure on institutions to purchase new platforms and suites of materials below market price that often contain OER. Some of these platforms for delivery are part of a larger model often called “inclusive access” or “digital discount” programs. These new models and products beg the question, “what is actually best for students?” Providing open educational resources to students without barriers is truly the best way to ensure students have access to the materials they need. How do we make smart decisions on content and content delivery with changing technology and new actors in the OER space? This session will outline existing and new players in the OER movement and discuss strategies for choosing content delivery models.