Open educational resources (OER) are guided by the idea that high-quality educational materials should be available to everyone. OER are educational materials that save students and teachers money because they are free to use, customize, and share. Because they’re freely available, OER materials are easily accessible for all districts and teachers. They also make distribution faster because they’re easily downloadable. 

OER make customization easier because they can be edited to accommodate different learning styles, cultures, languages, and local contexts. OER can continuously evolve with the most updated and relevant information for students because they are being used and adapted by classroom teachers in real time. 

Based on early research, OER show promise in improving student outcomes and providing more empowerment opportunities for teachers.