BROADER CONCEPTS

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OER  |  OER-RELEASE

RELATED CONCEPTS

OER-USE

NARROWER CONCEPTS

BENEFITS-OF-RELEASE-AND USE

DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION

OER Release Models

There seems to be a keen desire to identify models for OER release and people use a wide range of different terminology to describe these. Some of this terminology is applied in an inconsistent way and has led to confusion.

OER can be released in a variety of ways and these are often referred to as approaches, models or business models. There is NOT ONE model of OER release but MANY.  

Some people refer to benefits models - although benefits could be described as the results of implementing different models- these are described in Benefits of Release and use.

• OER release models are often complex and are shaped by a range of factors including:
• funding sources
• intentions behind release (strongly linked to anticipated benefits)
• stakeholders involved
• There are many 'models' involved in OER release. Which one we focus on depends on the specific context, motivation and intended outcomes. This highlights the complexity and inherent dangers of trying to pin down one model and ascribe specific benefits to it. For example we could look at OER release from the perspective of any of the following models or even a combination of these:
• funding models
• pedagogic models
• development models (big OER/little OER)
• hosting models (repository/content management/open web)
• distribution models (limited openness/global/institutional)
• sharing models
• institutional models (mandated/not mandated, central/distributed)
• community/partnership models
• individual models
• publishing models
• licensing models
• Consumer/production/Supply models
• Choices made in relation to one model or aspect of release often impacts on other models and there is a lot of crossover. This can result in confusion in both describing and understanding which models are being adopted. So for example one individual teacher releasing OER may be connecting into a subject discipline community model and an institutional model. These different models may not always combine together well. An individual may have their own personal model for OER release but have to operate within a more formal institutional or community model.
• It is useful to think about why we need to describe models of OER release. Discussion of models often emerges in relation to funding and sustainability. It can be helpful to think about OER release models in a broader sense as part of open educational practice as this focuses strongly on intention and anticipated use/re-use.

USEFUL SOURCES

Downes, Stephen Models for Sustainable Open Educational Resources in Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects 3 29-44 February 27, 2007.

Robertson, R. J. Open Education and OER is like... Blog post , CETIS on models and metaphors

SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION PAGES

Pages with the tag models

RESOURCES ON THE OER INFOKIT

Approaches & Models

UKOER lessons learned
UKOER key reports

UKOER Guides Institutional Aspects