Toward Best Practices for OER Quality: A Conversation about OER Quality and Emerging Best Practice Solutions

Quality, currency, and lack of supplementary learning materials rank highly as barriers to open educational resource (OER) adoption. This session encouraged participants to consider issues, solutions, and emerging best practices in OER production in the context of shared (but sometimes conflicting) contributions from open source and traditional publishing philosophies. Emerging best practices for assuring OER (original and adapted) quality and communicating quality measures are discussed as a way to more accurately present OER to potential adopters.

This interactive conversation drew on our past and current experiences of producing and stewarding open textbooks and other OER. Participants were invited to reflect and respond to a series of informational prompts on issues and emerging best practices in creating, supporting, and adapting OER. Informational prompts for discussion included contributions and conflicts between traditional publishing and open source philosophies; impacts of adaptability on production, version control, public access, and OER stewardship; emerging best practices in OER production; and publication practices which improve the experience and understanding of potential OER adopters. We shared insights from our own practices and listened eagerly to participant contributions.