Creating, Updating, or Remixing OER

Creating OER is Amazing

In 2019, UNESCO released a Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) with a long list of practical actions that UNESCO member states unanimously committed to. UNESCO frames OER as a tool to support the human right to education and cultural participation. A 2023 report showed significant progress, including increased awareness and capacity and new supportive policies. Growing governmental funding for OER in the United States reflects this.

Students in the United States are facing major barriers to education. One piece of this puzzle is the cost of commercial textbooks, which have risen dramatically over the last two decades. In a 2020 nationwide study, 63% of students reported not buying or renting a required course textbook despite worrying foregoing the material would negatively impact their grade. OER are freely accessible to all students.

Creative Commons licenses, the legal magic that makes OER work, have been used on approximately 2.5 billion works and counting. The users range from everyday people to scholars and large organizations. Wikipedia runs on CC licenses. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and other distinguished cultural institutions use CC licensing to grant unprecedented access to their digital collections. 

Creating Open Educational Resources (OER) participates in this growing movement to support students around the world with equitable access to learning materials.