Finding, Using and Co-Designing Open Educational Resources: A Model for a Facilitated Communication on Shared Resources

<p><span>This paper raises the issue of the rather vague definition of Open Educational Resources (OER) in respect to their educational features (“E”), and proposes a model for naming and describing the granularity, readiness to use and multiple parts and processes in the (co-)design, adaptation and redistribution of OER. The “openess” of OERs raises a new complexity in design, use and handing over learning environments, specifically related to the possibility of retrieving, adapting and modifying it, , including re-use with different purposes. This cooperative work across the web and through OERs, mainly without direct interaction, produces numerous variants of the original OER, and raises risks of misunderstandings, both on what the OER is about - when searching for a specific resource – and on its appropriate use in education.</span></p> <p><span>By clarifying the technical vocabulary and integrating fundamental dimensions for describing OERs, the model presented in this paper aims at providing a useful reference for facilitating the identification and communication about OERs in collaborative teams, and more broadly across researchers, designers and users. It also encourages a more precise design and description of OER, and invites readers to contribue to further develop the model presented here.</span></p>