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In a society that is becoming increasingly digital, it is no surprise that educational processes are also getting impacted by digital technologies.  A significant development in the educational domain has been the rise of Open Educational Resources, with the promise of delivering quality education. An essentially, digital phenomenon, OER seek to leverage the possibilities of digital methods for accesing, creating, modifying and sharing educational content.  As they developed, OER also redefined licensing and copyright, with content being shared with license to re-use, modify and share.  

In a society that is becoming increasingly digital, it is no surprise that educational processes are also getting impacted by digital technologies (popularly known as [[wikipedia:Information_and_communications_technology|Information and Communication Technologies]], or simply ICTs).  A significant development in the educational domain has been the rise of [[wikipedia:Open_educational_resources|Open Educational Resources]], with the promise of delivering quality education. An essentially, digital phenomenon, OER seek to leverage the possibilities of digital methods for accessing, creating, modifying and sharing educational content.  OER has redefined the copyright regime, stimulating the sharing of content with license to re-use, modify and share / publish.  

[[File:Turning a Resource into an Open Educational Resource.webm|none|thumb|Turning a resource into an OER]]

[[File:Turning a Resource into an Open Educational Resource.webm|none|thumb|Turning a resource into an OER]]

While the advantages seem obvious in terms of increased availability of curricular materials and reducing costs of education, research suggests that OER seems to have not achieved its potential for adoption<ref>The term ‘adoption’ of OER is used in this note in a comprehensive manner, to include creation, use, re-use, revision, re-mixing,retaining and re-distributing.</ref>.

While the advantages seem obvious in terms of increased availability of curricular materials and reducing costs of education, research suggests that OER seems to have not achieved its potential for adoption<ref>The term ‘adoption’ of OER is used in this note in a comprehensive manner, to include creation, use, re-use, revision, re-mixing,retaining and re-distributing.</ref>.

   

   

===What limits OER adoption===

===What limits OER adoption===

‘’Build it and will they come?’’  This captures the current context in the OER space with more and more materials being made available from educators and institutions alike, but limited uptake from users.  One important reason behind this is the low level of awareness about OER and its possibilities. Other parameters are:

‘’Build it and will they come?’’  This perhaps captures the current paradigm in the OER space, with more and more materials being made available from educators and institutions, but with limited uptake from users.  One important reason behind this is the low level of awareness about OER and its possibilities. Other causes could be:

#'''''legal''''' , with limited awareness of open licensing possibilities amongst people

#'''''legal''''' - with limited awareness of open licensing possibilities amongst people

#'''''cultural''''', OER availability is more in English than in local languages, thus limiting access and use

#'''''cultural''' -'' OER availability is more in English than in local languages, thus limiting access and use

#'''''social''''', OER creation is largely ‘expert-driven’ with limited participation of teachers and other resource creators and hence it is not disseminated widely

#'''''social''''' - OER creation is largely ‘expert-driven’ with limited participation of teachers and other resource creators and hence participation and even awareness is limited

#'''''pedagogical''''', teaching restricted to ‘text books’ in many education systems and teachers are yet to look beyond the text books for sourcing materials for their teaching and

#'''''pedagogical''''' - teaching is often restricted to ‘text books’ in many education systems and teachers are yet to look beyond the text books for sourcing materials for their teaching  

What is not often talked about however is the role the technology ecosystem plays in OER adoption. With OER being essentially digital, the means and processes of accessing OER for reuse, revision and sharing must be freely available. The digital allows creation possibilities in multiple ways – textual, graphics and audio-visual – and the availability of software applications for creation becomes critical.  OER began as a digitization of textual resources and thus text was dominant. In a   proprietary software dominant desktop environment, where the use of Free and Open Source (FOSS) tools is limited, it becomes prohibitively expensive to license proprietary applications for creating resources in audio, video and other media formats, thus limiting their creation. With the dominance of text (which was limiting its use), and the lack of appropriate software applications, users did not have the means and tools for accessing and repurposing OER, thus limiting its adoption.

In addition the technology ecosystem plays an important role in OER adoption. With OER being essentially digital, the means of accessing OER for reuse, revision and sharing must be freely available. The digital allows creation possibilities in multiple ways – textual, graphics and audio-visual – and the availability of software applications for creation and re-purposing becomes critical.  OER began as a digitization of textual resources and thus text format has dominated. Secondly, in a proprietary software dominant desktop environment, where the use of [[wikipedia:Free_and_open-source_software|Free and Open Source Software]]  (FOSS) is limited, it becomes prohibitively expensive for most individuals and institutions, to license proprietary applications for creating resources in audio, video and other media formats, thus limiting their creation. With the dominance of text format, and the lack of appropriate software applications, users did not have the means and tools for accessing and re-purposing OER in multiple formats, thus affecting its adoption.

However, as technologies have evolved, today, we have a wide variety of mature and high quality Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) applications which can allow resource creators and editors to create, re-mix, revise and re-distribute OER in multiple formats. These are available on the desktop environment, some of them are web-based and some available on mobile phone platforms. The power of OER comes from its ‘openness’, that it can be freely re-used, revised and re-distributed. Similarly, software that can be freely  re-used, revised and re-distributed can create a rich learning environment, by providing the tool-set for OER creation and re-purposing.

However, we now have a wide variety of mature and high quality [[wikipedia:Free_and_open-source_software|FOSS]] applications which can allow resource creators and editors to create, re-mix, revise and re-distribute OER in multiple formats. These are available on the desktop environment, on the web and on mobile phone platforms. The power of OER comes from its ‘openness’, that it can be freely re-used, revised and re-distributed. Similarly, software that is 'open' and can be freely  re-used, revised and re-distributed can create a rich learning environment, by providing the tool-set for OER creation and re-purposing.

===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. The following quote is popularly attributed to [[wikiquote:Talk:George_Bernard_Shaw|Bernard Shaw]]

'''"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."'''

''"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 Software and the Open Educational Resources movements.

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.

 

Promoting a free and open digital technology environment will have a positive influence on OER adoption (which includes both production and consumption) as well.

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

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

There is a possibility to provide a fillip to the creation of OER, by promoting the relevant and meaningful use of a variety of FOSS applications for authoring, editing and publishing OER. In a free and open technology environment where many free and open software applications are being used, resource creators / editors will be more able to create and share OER in multiple formats.  Popularizing the use of these applications amongst writers, editors and course developers can be hugely beneficial in enabling the larger and wider development of OER, and in richer formats.

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.

 

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 repurposing through the use of various FOSS applications.  We hope that access to a free and open environment will encourage every teacher to become an OER creator.

==== Facilitating Technological knowledge ====

==== Facilitating Technological knowledge ====