Open Chemistry Education Resources : Advantages and Disadvantages

Aside from cost savings for students, benefits of using OER include:

• Expanded access to learning—OER can be accessed anywhere at any time.
• Ability to modify course materials—OERs can be modified to provide coverage only of topics relevant to a course.
• Enhancement of course material—text can be supplemented by multimedia content (e.g., videos, simulations) to support multiple learning styles.
• Rapid dissemination of information—OER textbooks can be updated more quickly than new editions of textbooks can be published.
• Continual improvement of materials—instructors can adapt existing OER materials for a class and make the modified version available for others.
• Draw attention to university faculty—releasing OER is publicity for faculty.
   

Disadvantages of OER include:

• Quality concerns—Some OER materials can be edited by any user, which could results in irrelevant or inaccurate information being included.
• Loss of copyright/intellectual property protection—OER creators do not have copyright or intellectual property protection and must be careful about what materials they make available.
• Technology issues—Some students may have trouble accessing online materials due to slow internet connection or may not have access to software required to use the materials.
• Sustainability issues—There is a lack of financial incentive for OER creators to maintain their materials.