The term Open Educational Resources (OER) was first introduced at a conference hosted by
UNESCO in 2000 and was promoted in the context of providing free access to educational
resources on a global scale. There is no authoritatively accredited definition for the term OER
at present; the most often used definition of OER is, “digitised materials offered freely and
openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and reuse for teaching, learning and
research” (OECD, 2007). With regard to this working definition, it is important to note that
“resources” are not limited to content but comprise three areas, these are (OECD, 2007):