Learning resources and open access in higher education institutions in Ireland

Over the past decade or so the open education movement has continued to gather momentum in higher education, spurred on by increasing demand for more flexible education options; by the potential of developments in technology and infrastructure; by advocacy at policy level; and by initiatives and developments at national and international levels. Open educational resources (OER1), one element of the open education movement, have seen exponential growth in this period. Navigating this OER landscape poses a number of important issues and questions for the practice of teaching and learning. From an educational development perspective, the focus rests on investigating how both students and teachers can use and share open educational resources in ways that optimally enhance teaching and learning.