WASHINGTON, DC, – (March 5, 2012). Today, leading education advocacy groups and the U.S. Department of Education announced the launch of two major initiatives to promote awareness of Open Educational Resources: the Why Open Education Matters Video Competition and the first annual Open Education Week. Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials published under an open copyright license that can be freely used, shared and improved.

“Rising prices are creating an access gap between those who can and can’t afford high quality materials,” said Rich Baraniuk, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. “OER is truly a disruptive technology that is not just going to enable students to get free access to textbooks and close the access gap, but it is also going to enable faculty and teachers worldwide to share their educational ideas, and that’s going to greatly increase the both the quality and diversity of education.”

“Our Administration has made college affordability one of its top priorities as President Obama mentioned in the State of the Union address last month”, said US under secretary of education Martha Kanter. “We think that open educational resources, can reduce costs for students, for K-12 schools and for families. I consider open education to be one of the most important ‘start-ups’ that this country will take advantage of in the coming years.”

Open Education Week

Open Education Week is a global event that seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of free and open sharing in education. Coordinated by the OpenCourseWare Consortium, the event showcases projects, resources, and ideas from around the world to demonstrate the work already underway in open education. The open education movement seeks to reduce barriers, increase access and drive improvements in education through open sharing and digital formats. Open education includes free and open access to platforms, tools and resources in education, including learning materials, course materials, videos, assessment tools, research, study groups, and textbooks, all available under an open license.

Why Open Education Matters video competition

The U.S. Department of Education, the Open Society Institute, and Creative Commons have announced the launch of the Why Open Education Matters Video Competition. The competition will award cash prizes for the best short videos that explain the use and promise of free, high-quality Open Educational Resources and describe the benefits and opportunities these materials create for teachers, students and schools. Video submissions are accepted until June 5, 2012 and winners will be announced July 18, 2012. Cash prizes, provided by the Open Society Institute, include $25,000 (first), $5,000 (second), and $1,000 (Public Choice Award). All entries must be shared under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

The video competition website is whyopenedmatters.org and features an introductory video by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Participation in all Open Education Week events are free and open to all. Visit openeducationweek.org for more information.