How to Incorporate Open Educational Resources (OER) into the Infrastructure and Pedagogy for Promoting Ubiquitous Learning

Abstract

Ubiquitous learning can be promoted with the proper use of open educational resources (OER) which, with the help of audiovisual effects, can support learning anytime and anywhere. This paper lists the various ways in which OER can be incorporated into the infrastructure and pedagogy for promoting ubiquitous learning. Steps have to be taken so that the different boundaries of education are removed. To involve the teachers in this approach is a challenge which can be met by providing them with the required technical know-how and also training them professionally in the newer paradigms of instructional design and pedagogy which are required for ubiquitous learning. As a result of this change in instructional design, the learners shift from being knowledge receptors to knowledge actors. Research has to be carried out on learners with varied learner profiles and their proactive participation in using various media and teaching-learning tools. Also, the assessment tools have to be made in such a way that they provide useful and relevant formative and summative evaluative information to learners, their parents and educators. Also, social platforms have to be used to build collaborative knowledge cultures. To achieve all this, the requisite technical support has to be provided to the learners as well. The provision of Internet connectivity is another challenge that has to be dealt with. The digital divide has to be removed and OER provided for all. In a nutshell, it must be recognised that investment in OER is the key to improving the teaching-learning environment – so OER and u-learning are very important.