OER: From Tipping Point to Transformation - The State of Open Educational Resources Globally

Ben Janssen, Robert Schuwer and Dominic Orr were commissioned by GEM to write a review of the state of the art of OER as a contribution to their review of Technology in education 2023. This presentation for the OERcamp global starts from this review and has been briefly updated to take account of some new developments look back from 2025.
OER has achieved policy recognition and technological sophistication, yet the original promise of democratized education remains partially fulfilled. The decisive factor is whether we develop and deploy OER on our terms—guided by pedagogical values, equity principles, and local needs—or on terms dictated by commercial platforms and proprietary algorithms. True transformation requires moving from access to agency: learners and educators must have the capacity and infrastructure to shape the the learning environments they want.

Transcript

1. OER: From Tipping Point to Transformation The State of Open Educational Resources Globally Dominic Orr, Adj. Prof. University of Nova Goria Ben Janssen, independent consultant November 2025
2. Our background Ben Janssen, Robert Schuwer and Dominic Orr were commissioned by GEM to write a review of the state of the art of OER as a contribution to their review of Technology in education. This presentation for the OERcamp global starts from this review and has been briefly updated to take account of some new developments look back from 2025. Basis of this presentation https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/publication/technology https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386083.locale=en https://www.robertschuwer.nl/?p=3827 https://digimusingsblog.wordpress.com/2023/07/26/edtech-for-sdg4-not-without-oer/
3. Has OER Policy and Practice Really Reached the Tipping Point? OER as Policy Infrastructure Open Educational Resources have evolved from standalone initiatives into embedded policy frameworks. The African Union and Ethiopian national strategies now integrate OER as foundational infrastructure, signaling a fundamental shift in how governments approach educational resource planning. From Generic to Derived Value The conversation has matured beyond simple resource availability. Germany's national OER strategy exemplifies this evolution, emphasizing pedagogical innovation and contextual adaptation rather than just content creation and distribution. The Awareness- Implementation Gap Despite high awareness levels reaching 85% among educators, actual implementation remains stubbornly low at just 22%. Infrastructure gaps, quality concerns, and institutional barriers continue to limit OER's transformative potential.
4. Pragmatic Perspectives: Redefining Value and Addressing Pain Points Stakeholder-Specific Value A more nuanced understanding has emerged: teachers value OER primarily for adaptability and customization, while learners prioritize free, barrier-free access to quality materials. This differentiation suggests we need targeted strategies rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. Persistent Challenges Germany's OER Beirat raised a fundamental question: Are we asking the right questions? The Jobs-to-be-Done framework reveals that educators need solutions for specific tasks—lesson planning, assessment design, differentiated instruction—not just content repositories. AI as Solution and New Challenge Artificial intelligence offers promising solutions to longstanding OER barriers: enhanced discoverability through semantic search, automated content adaptation, and personalized learning pathways. However, AI also introduces new ethical concerns around algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the potential concentration of power in the hands of a few technology providers. https://www.oer-strategie.de/aktuelles/ag-painpoints-des-oer-beirats-pain-points-bei-oer- bildungsinfrastrukturen-stellen-wir-die-falschen-fragen/
5. Recalling the Original Promise Democratization and Power Shift The foundational vision of OER was radical: shifting control from commercial publishers to educators, moving from centralized content distribution to distributed creation and curation. Technology on Whose Terms? The UNESCO GEM Report poses a critical question: "Technology on whose terms?" For OER to fulfill its promise, solutions must be appropriate to local contexts, equitable in access, scalable without compromising quality, and sustainable over time. From Access to Agency True transformation requires more than content availability. Learners and educators must have the agency, capacity, and infrastructure to shape their own learning environments and adapt resources to their unique needs.
6. The Unfinished Transformation OER has begun to become mainstreamed—but has it democratized education provision and access? We stand at a critical juncture. Open Educational Resources have achieved policy recognition and technological sophistication, yet the original promise of democratized education remains partially fulfilled. The decisive factor is whether we develop and deploy OER on our terms—guided by pedagogical values, equity principles, and local needs—or on terms dictated by commercial platforms and proprietary algorithms. The next chapter of OER depends on collective choices about governance, investment, capacity building, and the courage to prioritize educational values over technological expediency.