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===Free and open technology environment===

===Free and open technology environment===

An important power of the digital is the negligible marginal cost of production of digital resources, whether software or content. The following quote is popularly attributed to [[wikiquote:Talk:George_Bernard_Shaw|Bernard Shaw]]

An important power of the digital is the negligible marginal cost of production of digital resources, whether software or content. As George Bernard Shaw has been popularly believed to have said, if two people have an apple each and they exchange their apples, then each will still have only one apple. However if both have an idea each, and exchange these ideas, then each of them will end up having two ideas. This is applicable to digital resources as well. If digital resources are allowed to be freely shared, modified and shared again, then it can result in a resource rich environment. This is the idea that triggered of the Free and Open Source Software and the Open Educational Resources movements. Promoting a free and open digital technology environment will thus have a positive influence on OER adoption (including production and consumption) as well.

 

''"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."''

 

This is applicable to digital resources as well. If digital resources are allowed to be freely shared, modified and shared again, then it can result in a resource rich environment. This is the idea that triggered of the Free and Open Source Software and the Open Educational Resources movements. Promoting a free and open digital technology environment will thus have a positive influence on OER adoption (including production and consumption) as well.

====Democratizing OER production and consumption====

====Democratizing OER production and consumption====

Popularizing the use of FOSS applications amongst writers, editors and course developers can be hugely beneficial in enabling the larger and wider development of OER, and in richer formats. This process can help us move from a paradigm where OER is created by 'experts' for all, to a more participatory process where many more people can participate in OER production and exchange. Every teacher usually has to make or customise materials for her teaching-learning. This toolkit is an introduction to possibilities of OER creation and re-purposing through the use of various FOSS applications.  ''We hope that access to a free and open technology environment will encourage every teacher to become an OER creator, an OER 're-purposer' and an OER publisher.''

Popularizing the use of FOSS applications amongst writers, editors and course developers can be hugely beneficial in enabling the larger and wider development of OER, and in richer formats. This process can help us move from a paradigm where OER is created by 'experts' for all, to a more participatory process where many more people can participate in OER production and exchange. Every teacher usually has to make or customise materials for her teaching-learning. This toolkit is an introduction to possibilities of OER creation and re-purposing through the use of various FOSS applications.  ''We hope that access to a free and open technology environment will encourage every teacher to become an OER creator, an OER 're-purposer' and an OER publisher.''