Though open educational resources (OER) promise to transform the conditions for teaching and learning worldwide, there are many barriers to the full realization of this vision. Among other things, much of what is currently considered "free and open" is legally, technically, and/or culturally incompatible. Herein, the authors give a brief history…

The success of OER is likely to depend on a flexible, extendable infrastructure that will meet the challenges of an evolving World Wide Web. In this article, the authors examine three key dimensions of this infrastructure--technical, legal/cultural/social/political, and research--and discuss possible directions for development. (Contains 1 table…

Four facets of the unfolding mobile open ecology in which OER will move are described. Web 2.0 is a platform harnessing collective intelligence where participation and pushing content are stimulated. Microlearning is different from e-learning, which replicated the classroom online; microlearning deals with relatively small learning units and…

This article describes the concepts of information literacy and resource-based learning as they relate to the Inquiry Training Model of instruction. It also provides guidelines for designing lesson plans using the Internet as a resource and assesses learning outcomes. (AEF)

Discussion of the adoption of new learning technologies focuses on the need for new frameworks to understand instructional design and use. Highlights include learning resources; hypertext, the Internet and the World Wide Web; consideration of context of use; participatory design; and dynamics between designers and teachers and between teachers and…

Most Web site rating systems overemphasize technological "bells and whistles." The University of Georgia's information quality criteria address site access and usability; resource identification and documentation; author identification; authority of author; information structure and design; relevance and scope, validity, and accuracy and…