Higher education has experienced phenomenal growth in all parts of Asia over the last two decades. This expansion, coupled with a diversity of provisions, has meant that more and more young Asians are experiencing tertiary education within their own countries. Notwithstanding this massive expansion of provisions, equitable access is still a challenge for Asian countries. There is also concern that expansion will erode quality. The use of digital resources is seen as one way of addressing the dual challenges of quality and equity. Open educational resources (OER), free of licensing encumbrances, hold the promise of equitable access to knowledge and learning. However, the full potential of OER is only realisable by acquiring: (i) greater knowledge about OER, (ii) the skills to effectively use OER and (iii) policy provisions to support its establishment in the continent’s higher education milieu.

Keywords

Asia · benefits and barriers · digital resources · higher education · OER awareness · Open Educational Resources · policies · practices