Open education policies are formal regulations regarding support, funding, adoption, and use of open educational resources (OER) and/or open education practices (OEP). Such policies are designed to support the creation, adoption, and sharing of OER and the design and integration of OEP into programs of study. Open education policies underscore the viability and value of OER in teaching and learning and can help inculcate OEP at colleges and universities. The development of open education policies will help move OER and OEP from the periphery to the center of education practice.

This publication is one in a three-part series designed to provide a point of departure for conversations about all aspects of open education

Open Education: Content
Open Education: Practices
Open Education: Policies

The 7 Things You Should Know About... series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.

Keywords

higher education · institutional policy · OER adoption · OER policy · open education practices