---
title: "Open Education"
source: The Turing Way
source_url: https://github.com/the-turing-way/the-turing-way
licence: CC-BY-4.0
domain: data-and-analysis
subdomain: turing-way
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

(cm-open-education)=
# Open Education 

(cm-open-education-what)=
## What is Open Education
Open Education is a collective term that encompasses educational resources, tools and practices that can be freely used in the digital environment without legal, financial or technical barriers. 
Open Education can also include [Open Pedagogy](http://openpedagogy.org/open-pedagogy/) which also focuses on the process of collaboratively developing educational practices and structures. 
In open educational practices there is more space for [participation of learners in the knowledge creation and sharing](https://opencontent.org/blog/archives/2975), empowering learners and stimulating peer-learning and colllaboration.  

(cm-open-education-why)=
## Why Open Education?

Open Education is important as it:

- Facilitates broader and more **equal access** to access to knowledge and knowledge generation.
Open Education is rooted in the human right to access high-quality education.
For example, there is evidence that [students may avoid paying for text books at the expense of their academic success](https://www.psu.edu/news/university-libraries/story/students-may-avoid-paying-textbooks-expense-academic-success/).
- Is **easier to use**: 
    - Easier to build upon and correct the materials, which facilitates customisation of your education curriculum.
    - Easier to collaborate, participate and share resources.
- **Reduces duplication of effort**: If an educator needs materials for teaching and they can access open materials, then they need not make their own from scratch, thereby saving time.
- Is generally **more accessible** due to the use of open formats compared to proprietary formats in which files cannot be changed. 
    - Formats like Microsoft docx are proprietary, so preference should be given to open formats such as ODT and HTML work with a variety of software. 
    - While .pdf is an open format, it is also more closed in the sense that it is difficult to edit compared to formats such as RTF and HTML. 
    - Accessibility is not guaranteed! 
Learn more about how to improve the accessibility of your resources: 
        - [How to Create Engaging Open Educational Resources without Sacrificing Accessibility](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtOCI5TqtQI)
        - [OER and Accessibility: Working Toward Inclusive Learning](https://sparcopen.org/news/2018/oer-accessibility-working-toward-inclusive-learning/)
        - Read the {ref}`Communicating Accessibly section<cm-comms-overview-accessibly>`
- Open [does not necessarily exclude revenue generation](https://edscoop.com/how-traditional-textbook-publishers-can-do-well-by-the-oer-community/)
- Open Educational resources [may be **more effective**](http://openedgroup.org/review) than [traditional materials that are more expensive](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/college-textbooks-do-you_b_8261086). 
See also {cite:ps}`Colvard2018OERsuccess`. 

Learn more about why Open Education matters: 
- '[Open Education Matters: Why is it important to share content?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTNnxPcY49Q)' 
- '[Why Open Education Matters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJWbVt2Nc-I&list=PL741678F352148469)'
- Open Education [benefits (and stakeholders)](https://openeducationalresources.pbworks.com/w/page/24838012/Stakeholders%20and%20benefits)
- '[Why Open Education Matters](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/why-open-education-matters)'

(cm-open-education-promotion)=
## Examples of promotion of Open Education
- [Recognizing “Open” in Tenure and Promotion at University of British Columbia](https://sparcopen.org/news/2017/recognizing-open-tenure-promotion-ubc/) 
- [What can university leaders do?](https://sparcopen.org/events/sparc-more-2016/what-university-leaders-can-do-to-promote-open-and-how-librarians-might-help/)


(cm-open-education-oers)=
# Open Educational Resources (OERs)

Open educational resources (OERs) [{term}`def<Open Educational Resources>`] are teaching and learning materials that can be freely used and reused for learning or teaching at no cost, and without needing to ask permission. Examples are courses, including Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), lectures, teaching materials, assignments, and various other resources. OERs are available in many different formats compatible with online usage, most obviously text, images, audio, and video. Anyone with internet access can access and use OERs; access is not dependent on location or membership of a particular institution.

Unlike copyrighted resources, OERs have been authored or created by an individual or organization that chooses to retain few, if any, ownership rights. In some cases, that means anyone can download a resource and share it with colleagues and students. In other cases, this may go further and enable people to edit resources and then re-post them as a remixed work. How do you know your options? OERs often have a [Creative Commons licence](https://creativecommons.org/) or other permission to let you know how the material may be used, reused, adapted, and shared.

Fully open OERs comply with the [5 Rs](http://opencontent.org/definition/):

- _Retain_: the right to make, own, and control copies of the content.
- _Reuse_: the right to use the content in a wide range of ways (for example, in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video).
- _Revise_: the right to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (for example, translate the content into another language).
- _Remix_: the right to combine the original or revised content with other open content to create something new (for example, incorporate the content into a mashup).
- _Redistribute_: the right to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (for example, give a copy of the content to a friend).

(cm-open-education-oers-how)=
## How to set up OERs? 

1. Choose a platform.
2. Collect resources under an open license
   For more information, see:
    - [Attribution & Fair Use: Copyright in Open Education](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGTUHdadqJU)
    - [Copyright ownership in higher education and potential implications for Open Education](https://doi.org/10.17161/jcel.v5i1.14946) by {cite:ps}`Gumb2022oer`
    - and {ref}`Licensing data section<rr-licensing-data>`
4. Ask for feedback.
5. Share and promote your resources.

See also a short video on '[Creating Open Educational Resources: Tips for New Creators](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV-HiWtMq1U)' and '[A Guide to Making Open Textbooks with Students](https://press.rebus.community/makingopentextbookswithstudents/)'

(cm-open-education-oers-examples)=
## Examples of OERs
- The Turing Way
- [R for Data Science](https://r4ds.had.co.nz/)
- [OER Commons](https://www.oercommons.org/)

(cm-open-education-resources)=
# Resources
- [SPARC Open Education Leadership Program curriculum](https://sparcopen.org/our-work/open-education-leadership-program/curriculum/)
- [The OER Starter Kit ](https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/oerstarterkit/)
- [Groningen University's Resource lists overview for working with Open Educational Resources](https://libguides.rug.nl/OER/OERResourceLists)
- [Open Education Group](https://openedgroup.org/)
- [Open Education Network](https://open.umn.edu/oen/)
- [Open Educational Resources](https://www.surrey.ac.uk/library/open-research/open-educational-resources) by the University of Surrey
- Webinar on '[Creating and Sharing Open Educational Resources (OER)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JgoUbED4rM)'
- Webinar on '[Another Kind of Open: exploring the benefits and barriers to the creation and use of open educational resources](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc7eV4gHA_0)' 
- [Podcast interview with Nicole Allen](https://leadinglinespod.com/episodes/episode-029-nicole-allen/)
- Video Session on '[Open Education Through an Ethics of Care & Justice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i74KEAJnoPY)'
- Book 'Teaching to transgress' by bell hooks.
