In the last decade, the concept of Open Educational Resources (OER) has gained an
undeniable momentum. However, it is an easy trap to confuse download and registration rates with actual learning and interest in the adoption and re-use of open educational resources. If we focus solely on access, we cannot differentiate between processes of mere
information foraging and deep sense making activities. The paper provides an overview of the OER movement, stressing emerging concerns surrounding the educational efficacy of OER and highlighting learning theories which aid our understanding of this growing domain. We discuss building-blocks for a theoretical framework that allows us to conceptualize the learner’s part in open educational practices, also characterizing challenges of open learning and traits of successful open learners.

Keywords

sociocultural theory · open learning · Open Educational Resources · OER · learning theories · learning sciences · instructional design · informal learning · communities of practice