Access to Education with Online Learning and Open Educational Resources: Can they Close the Gap?
Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Volume 12: Issue 1
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ACCESS TO EDUCATION WITH ONLINE
LEARNING AND OPEN EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES: CAN THEY CLOSE THE GAP?
Dr. Christine Geith
Assistant Provost and Executive Director
Michigan State University
MSUglobal
Karen Vignare
Director
Michigan State University
ABSTRACT
One of the key concepts in the right to education is access: access to the means to fully develop as human
beings as well as access to the means to gain skills, knowledge and credentials. This is an important
perspective through which to examine the solutions to access enabled by Open Educational Resources
(OER) and online learning. The authors compare and contrast OER and online learning and their potential
for addressing human rights “to” and “in” education. The authors examine OER and online learning
growth and financial sustainability and explore potential scenarios to address the global education gap.
KEYWORDS
Online Learning, Open Education Resources, OER, OpenCourseWare, Sustainable Business Models,
Innovation
I.
INTRODUCTION
There is a global demand for education and a growing gap between demand and supply. The demand
varies by country and type of education. The United Nations (UN) is central to the call for improved rates
of primary education worldwide for both genders. Using two important calls to action, the UN and World
Bank have developed the Education for All initiative and the Millennium Development Goals. Most
developed countries, while achieving high rates of success in primary and secondary school, are still
trying to grow participation in higher (tertiary) education. In addition, it has been recognized by many,
including UNESCO that the need for continuing education, which in the United States (U.S.) often falls to
higher education providers, is also growing and likely to continue to do so as jobs, technology and
knowledge change rapidly. Online