The federal government invests billions to fund
programs that create educational, training, and instructional materials, but
that doesn’t necessarily mean taxpayers have free access. A group of more than
85 educational technology stakeholders would like to see that change.
The group has urged the Obama administration to make more federally funded education content available
online as open educational resources (OER). It’s also asking the public to get
involved by using the hashtag #OERUSA to call for open access to the
taxpayer-funded content.
“Giving educators, students, and the public at large
greater access to publicly funded resources will only mean greater
opportunities for success,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for
School Networking in an article in eSchool News.
The
group noted that making the content available could help college students who
must grapple with the rising cost of course material. In addition, it could aid
school districts that require students to share textbooks and other course
materials as they struggle to find up-to-date textbooks.
