Anticipatory Practices in the Field of Open Educational Resources

The presentation "Anticipatory Practices in the Field of Open Educational Resources" explores how Open Educational Resources (OER) are produced, shared, and integrated within higher education, particularly in German-speaking contexts. While OER—freely accessible teaching and learning materials under open licenses—are widely recognized by UNESCO as tools for promoting educational equity and quality, their adoption remains limited in practice. Drawing on empirical data from document analyses and expert interviews, the presentation examines the interplay between digital infrastructures (such as repositories), legal frameworks, and the everyday practices of educators. It highlights a tension between the normative goals of openness and accessibility embedded in OER and the actual needs, values, and routines of academic teaching—where embodied knowledge, didactic design, and disciplinary traditions often take precedence. The concept of "anticipatory practices" is used to frame OER as both a response to and a vision for transforming educational systems. However, the findings suggest that current OER models fall short of fully anticipating or accommodating the social and institutional realities of teaching. The talk concludes by reflecting on the potential of OER to address broader societal challenges such as copyright constraints, knowledge democratization, and trust in academic knowledge production.