Issues of context and design in OER (open educational resources)

The study conducted by Hilton (2016) focused on open educational resources (OER) by analyzing the findings of 16 studies that investigated (a) the influence of OER on academic learning outcomes at the tertiary context, and (b) students' and instructors' perceptions of OER in their teaching and learning contexts. Hilton's analysis of the findings of these studies indicated two major findings: (1) when students use OER, they obtain the same learning outcomes as with traditional textbooks while saving money; and (2) both students and teachers find OER comparable to traditional learning resources in terms of quality. Several advantages of OER were also revealed. These included low or no cost of OER, perceived ease of reading and access, their ability to provide the same learning outcomes as traditional materials, and students' and instructors' positive perceptions. By indicating the role of OER in obtaining the same or similar learning, the study has also suggested that OER be considered useful sources for classes and also a valid replacement for commercial textbooks. However, we also need to consider the context where OER will be used and how OER are designed and used in this context since these two determine whether OER will work and suffice. This article considers the contextual factors and design of OER, and the limitations of Hilton's work in addition to several ideas and suggestions for further research regarding OER in online and face-to-face instruction.