An Expert Survey on the Barriers and Enablers of Open Educational Practices

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This paper is a report on the findings of a literature review and an expert survey conducted in December 2010 with a self-selected panel. A total of 19 participants were recruited through the UNESCO OER mailing list and the Educational Technology and Change Journal. The findings depict current issues for debate, pinpoint potential obstacles and benefits of OER, and point towards future policy and research agendas. The respondents defined several challenges for the widespread adoption and use of OER that correspond to findings from the literature review. These challenges include: intercultural exchange, sustainable institutional policies, and formal accreditation. Despite the benefits of OER, such as sharing with other learners, following personal learning goals and encountering different points of view, learners continue to struggle to find relevant content and receive little or no recognition of their informal studies in more formal settings. Both teachers and students lack competencies for self-directed learning. Dialogue about OER needs to shift away from discussing access to materials and should look at how to foster co-creation, adaptation, and distributed curation.