Open Educational Resources (OER) and Licenses

Open Educational Resources (OER) hold transformative potential for modern education. These can significantly enhance accessibility and equity in education by providing free, high-quality learning materials, which can be freely adapted and shared. In a 2002 conference, UNESCO defined Open Educational Resources (OER) as “... learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under copyright that have been released under an open license, that permit no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others.”

This democratization of knowledge ensures that all students, regardless of their socio-economic background, have access to the same educational resources, thereby promoting a more inclusive learning environment, and making OER immensely significant in the implementation of NEP 2020 in all sectors of education in India. NCERT has been developing open educational resources and disseminating through various means to reach the last student and teacher in the country.CEMCA, as a prominent stakeholder in the education domain, focuses on assisting governments and institutions to expand the scale, efficiency and quality of learning by using multiple media in open, distance and technology-enhanced learning. CEMCA has been championing the cause of OER since the very beginning of this movement and this training is also a part of this ongoing effort to raise awareness and knowledge about OER.

In this context, it is essential to orient various stakeholders in the exploration and implementation of Open Educational Resources and Licensing. Such training will help in understanding the opportunity that OER offers in improving access to and quality of education by enabling the use of learning materials that are high-quality, free and easily accessible. This online training programme is designed to empower teachers and educational stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively leverage OER. Participants will gain insights into the foundational policies and advancements shaping OER, practical strategies for sourcing and integrating these resources into their teaching practices, and methods for developing OER-based courses and micro-credentials. The training will also explore the numerous benefits of OER, such as improved access to diverse educational materials and innovative teaching approaches, and provides guidance on navigating OER repositories and licensing.

CIET-NCERT organizes a 5 hours training series on Educational Technology in the third (English version) and fourth week (Hindi Version) of every month. For the month of July, 2024, a 5 hours online training on “Open Educational Resources (OER) and Licenses'' from 15-19 July, 2024 in English version and 22-26 July, 2024 in Hindi version from 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm will be organised.

Objectives of Training:

1. Understand key policies, regulations, and advancements in OER.

2. Gain skills to find and evaluate high-quality OER for educational needs.

3. Develop strategies to effectively integrate OER into teaching practices.

4. Learn tools and techniques for creating OER-based courses and micro-credentials.

5. Recognise the benefits of OER, including cost savings and improved access.

6. Explore OER repositories and understand licensing to ensure proper use and attribution.

7. Promote collaboration and innovative teaching practices using OER.

Who Can Participate?

Students, Teachers, Teacher Educators, Parents, Administrators and all those who are interested.