Open Educational Resources: The way forward

Abstract

Education systems today face two major challenges: expanding the reach of education and improving its quality. Traditional solutions will not suffice, especially in the context of today's knowledge-intensive societies. The Open Educational Resources movement offers one solution for extending the reach of education and expanding learning opportunities. The goal of the movement is to equalize access to knowledge worldwide through openly and freely available online high-quality content. UNESCO has contributed to building global awareness about Open Educational Resources, through facilitating an extended conversation in cyberspace. Over the course of two years, a large and diverse international community came together in a series of online discussion forums to discuss the concept of Open Educational Resources and its potential. In making the background papers and reports from those discussions available for the first time in print, this publication seeks to share even more widely the contributions made by so many. It is intended for all who may be intrigued by the Open Educational Resources movement its promise and its progress.