READIT - 2009 - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Proceedings of READIT-2009, Kalpakkam - 603 102, 29-30 Dec 2009
philosophy of academe, which is based upon a collegial sharing of information and new
discoveries through the peer-reviewed academic publication process to share knowledge.
“Perhaps the cultural disposition for open review and exchange among peers might support
the current open-source courseware and knowledgeware movement in higher education and
might encourage a greater volume of work in an open-source environment…” (Moore, 2002).
Open initiatives in higher education have crystallized around three major areas of activity:
1. the creation of open source software and development tools;
2. the creation and provision of open course content; and
3. the development of standards and licensing tools.
The outputs of all three may be grouped together under the term Open Educational
Resources (OER). This term has been adopted by UNESCO to refer to the open provision of
educational resources, enabled by information and communication technologies, for
consultation, use and adaptation by a community of users for non-commercial purposes. The
OER movement is breaking down barriers that have blocked access to academic content.
Until recently, most electronic course content was locked up behind passwords within
proprietary systems, noted the forum’s initial moderator, Sally Johnstone. OER represents a
major step toward sharing teaching materials, methods and tools, just as academics have
shared their work in scholarly papers for a long time.
The result is to augment teaching resources while expanding knowledge opportunities
for learners and faculty members.
Participants stressed the importance of providing open, accessible and superior higher
education content for a global community of teachers and scholars, students and lifelong
learners. Whether OERs are categorized as ‘open access’ or ‘free content’, they collectively
promote autonomy and self-reliance within the learning community. Without the constraints
of time or geography, the power of education is released to combat economic, social and
cultural obstacles. Through independent, self-determined learning and open academic
content, the individual is able to grow intellectually beyond previous personal, institutional or
local boundaries. Other benefits range from developing valuable work skills to engaging in
life-enriching, lifelong learning (13).
LIBRARY 2.0 AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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