This study provides a research-based approach to reimagining the world language classroom through open educational resources (OER), primarily in higher education. Using quantitative and qualitative analyses, we provide insight into students' perceptions of OER in world language education classrooms, with a specific focus on conversation courses.…

The open education movement has resulted in the proliferation of content that is freely produced, shared, remixed, and reused by instructors in various disciplines throughout the world. However, little is known about whether or not English as a second language (ESL) instructors in the United States (US) are taking part. This study reports on the…

Education is experiencing a period of change and the traditional models of education adopted by universities need to go through innovative processes to democratize knowledge, attract new learners and optimize resources. The use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) can contribute to such changes. However,…

Educating nurses in developing countries is challenging due to limited resources. Nurses International advances nursing education through the use of Open Educational Resources, which provide a unique model to teach and mentor nurse educators globally. Using current resources and materials that are free online and teacher-facing, an innovative…

This paper reports on a case study in the experimental use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in intermediate level language instruction. The resources come from three sources: the instructor, the students, and open content repositories. The objective of this action research project was to provide student-centered learning materials, enhance…

The following article examines the beginnings of open distance learning and use of OER by the National University of Samoa Faculty of Education to address an identified national need for more teachers and to improve their quality. It highlights related challenges in the training of teachers and how different and new modes of learning are not…

Language education faculty face myriad challenges in finding teaching resources that are suitable, of high quality, and allow for the modifications needed to meet the requirements of their course contexts and their learners. The article elaborates the grassroots model of "produsage" (a portmanteau of "production" and…

Systemic functional linguistics (SFL) theory focuses on developing language learners' meta-linguistic understanding of the interrelation among linguistic form (grammar/vocabulary), meaning, and context. Guided by SFL when using a mandatory textbook and open educational resources, this study investigates how exposure to this blended teaching and…

The pedagogic practical knowledge that teachers use in their lessons is very difficult to make visible and often remains tacit. This chapter draws on data from a recent study and closely analyses a number of Open Educational Resources used by three language teachers at the UK Open University in order to try to capture how their use of the…

LCTL educators are beginning to participate in the Open Education movement by developing and sharing their own pedagogical materials referred to as open educational resources (OERs). This new generation of collaborative LCTL materials will invariably challenge longstanding hegemonies in the fields of foreign language education and educational…

The learning difficulty known as dyslexia affects up to ten per cent of the adult population. In current teaching practice in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), however, there is still little awareness of how dyslexia-friendly language course materials can be created. Language learning materials, although often delivered in novel digital…