Implementing open educational resources in digital education

The outbreak of COVID-19 leads to an increasing demand for online educational resources to continue teaching and learning. Open educational resources (OER), with the benefits of cost-saving and open licenses, have great potential in facilitating the rapid transition to digital education, but concerns about whether OER decrease the effectiveness of student learning remains unsolved. Hilton's review article (2016) provides synthesized evidence stating that OER can help decrease college students' textbook spending without undermining student learning effectiveness. It is also noteworthy that implementing OER in digital education needs additional considerations beyond the efficacy of OER. Therefore, this special issue article extends Hilton's (2016) synthesized findings by presenting four additional perspectives in research, design, culture, practice about implementing OER in digital education.

Automated summary

The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to an increased demand for online educational resources, and OER has the potential to facilitate the transition to digital education. Concerns about the effectiveness of student learning with OER remain unresolved. Hilton's review shows that OER can reduce textbook spending without compromising student learning, but additional considerations are needed for implementing OER in digital education.