Understanding Open Educational Resources (OER)
30-second summary. OER are materials anyone may legally access, reuse, adapt and redistribute, because they are in the public domain or released under an open license such as Creative Commons. "Free to view" is not the same as OER.
Definition
The UNESCO Recommendation on OER (2019) defines OER as learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under copyright that have been released under an open license, that permit no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others (UNESCO). It was adopted unanimously by UNESCO's General Conference in November 2019, building on the 2012 Paris OER Declaration.
The 5Rs
David Wiley's 5R framework (opencontent.org):
| Permission | Meaning | Classroom example |
|---|---|---|
| Retain | Make and keep copies | Save a lesson to your school LMS |
| Reuse | Use as-is in many contexts | Present it in class |
| Revise | Adapt, translate, modify | Replace examples with local ones |
| Remix | Combine with other open material | Merge two lessons into one unit |
| Redistribute | Share original or revised copies | Share with your department or a school repository |
OER vs. "free" materials
| Free materials | OER | |
|---|---|---|
| No cost to view/download | ✓ | ✓ |
| May edit, translate, remix | Usually no | ✓ (license-dependent, not ND) |
| May share copies | Usually no | ✓ |
| Clear, machine-readable terms | Rarely | ✓ (standard licenses) |
The key is the license: without one, copyright applies by default and you must ask permission.
Why it matters for Vietnamese schools
Teachers can adapt materials for their own students lawfully, schools avoid duplicated effort and cost, and materials improve continuously through community feedback — in line with the national push for digital transformation in education.