The impact of OER on teaching and learning in UK universities: implications for Learning Design

Abstract

In recent years, universities in the UK have received significant funds for the production and release of open educational resources (OER). In acknowledgment of the growing need to explore the demand side, a small-scale qualitative investigation was conducted into the benefits of, and challenges to, incorporating OER into teaching and learning from the perspective of lecturers themselves. To capture a wide range of OER experience, we interviewed teaching staff who were already experienced users of OER, and held workshops with staff who were engaging with OER for the first time. This paper reports our findings, which show an unmistakable groundswell in favour of openness, and a receptivity to licensed resources from other institutions, despite the absence of a critical mass of materials in some disciplines. However, pedagogic intent, granularity and preserving one’s distinctive ‘teaching voice’ are common concerns. The paper additionally considers the implications of these findings for the practice of Learning Design and outlines how digital tools can support the creation of open learning designs.