OER and Mobile Learning

Abstract

Open Educational Resources (OER) constitute an important resource with the potential to facilitate the expansion of mobile learning worldwide. The flexibility, both technological and legal afforded by openly licensed content is an important pre-condition for supporting ubiquitous learning. Open standards support the deployment of learning objects as OER on a wide variety of different devices, whether mobile or stationary. The open license frees instructors and learners from concerns about how, when, where and how long the content, video, audio or application can be used. The relevance of OER is augmented by the exponential growth in online accessibility supported by the wide range of new mobile devices promising the possibility of learning anywhere at anytime by anyone. Mobile access is becoming a universal reality.

This growing trend toward mobile computing using the power of networks has opened the door for learners and teachers to access the world’s knowledge from almost anywhere, at anytime. The internet houses the world’s treasure of knowledge. In this context the role of OER in providing learners and teachers with learning content, applications, games etc. is becoming increasingly more relevant. The internet is the world’s intellectual commons and OER renders this knowledge accessible to all. The world’s knowledge is a public good that should be made available to everyone and now can be using mobile devices and the Internet.