Limitations
Last updated
Last updated
Open Educational Resources have numerous advantages and they have contributed to making the quality of education something better for all of us. We can see that important contribution in the following link that takes us to an interesting video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFeyCc6we-s
Nevertheless, despite all those opportunities that OER have given to us, they are still in the early adoption stage due to the fact that its development and promotion is often motivated by a desire to provide an improved educational paradigm. Moreover, we need to know that the srepad of their usage is still slowed by a series of factors.
In this way, the main limitations that open education faces nowadays are the following:
1. Quality issues
Since many OER repositories allow any user to create an account and post material, some resources may not be relevant and/or accurate.
2. Lack of human interaction between teachers and students
OER material is created to stand alone, and since self-learning users may access the material outside of a classroom environment, they will miss out on the discussion and instructor feedback that characterize for-credit classes and that make such classes useful and valuable.
3. Language and cultural barriers
Although efforts are being made to make OERs available in multiple languages, many are only available in English, limiting their usefulness to non-English speakers. Additionally, not all resources are culturally appropriate for all audiences.
4. Technological issues
Some students may have trouble using some OERs if they have a slow or erratic internet connection. Other OERs may require software that students don’t have and that they may not be able to afford.
Finally, we can mention a recommendation of the Paris OER Declaration: "Encourage the development and adaptation of OER in a variety of languages and cultural contexts. Favour the production and use of OER in local languages and diverse cultural contexts to ensure their relevance and accessibility. Intergovernmental organisations should encourage the sharing of OER across languages and cultures, respecting indigenous knowledge and rights".
You can read more about the limitations in this interesting article (Advantages and Limitations of Usage of Open Educational Resources in Small Countries) or either in this one (Open Educational Resources: Opportunities and Challenges)
