How to… develop and use Open Educational Resources

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, pp. 71–86

Abstract

This chapter explores the critical role of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in advancing open science and promoting educational equity. OERs are freely-available teaching and learning materials that can be reused and adapted, making them powerful tools for democratising access to knowledge. Drawing on principles from critical pedagogy, feminist, and decolonial scholarship, we position OERs not only as cost-saving tools but as instruments of epistemic justice and inclusion. This chapter outlines five foundational principles for OER development—accessibility, inclusivity, collaboration, sustainability, and social justice—and offers a step-by-step framework for creating, implementing, and sustaining high-quality OERs. Case studies are presented to demonstrate participatory and community-driven approaches to OER creation. We also examine common challenges such as structural inequality and linguistic barriers, providing actionable strategies for addressing each. By embedding values of openness, fairness, and co-creation, we show how OERs can help reshape curricula and cultivate more inclusive academic ecosystems.

Authors 9

1. Flávio Azevedo

   Utrecht University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science , Utrecht University

2. Emily Friedel

   Deakin University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Psychology , Deakin University

3. Sarah Ashcroft-Jones

   Columbia University

   Affiliation as printed

   Mailman School of Public Health , Columbia University , New York , USA

4. Max Korbmacher

   Haukeland University Hospital

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Neurology , Haukeland University Hospital , Bergen , Norway;

5. Dushime Richard Mudahera

   Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Radiography , Western Norway University of Applied Sciences , Bergen , Norway

6. Antonia Krasteva

   Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Radiography , Western Norway University of Applied Sciences , Bergen , Norway

7. Giorgia Andreolli

   Eurac Research · Institute for Applied Linguistics

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Applied Linguistics , Eurac Research

8. Letícia Rettore Micheli Aachen Economic and Organisational Psychology

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Economic and Organisational Psychology , Leiden University

9. Priya Silverstein

   Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education · Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular · Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia · University of Coimbra

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology and Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology , University of Coimbra ; Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education