Open Educational Resources and Intellectual Property Rights: A Study on the awareness of OER and IPR among Elementary Teacher Educators

Abstract

Digitalization is a major factor in education that brings advancements and mitigates educational boundaries. The accessibility of education has undoubtedly improved because of technological innovations. Computers and smartphones are such technological equipment that is most accessible to everyone, and both offer a broad selection of programs that make educational content available online in different formats. In this age of technological advancements, it is crucial to protect both the author’s intellectual property rights and the credibility of the available content. For such circumstances in education, open educational resources (OER) are the workable alternative. This paper aims to measure the awareness of OER and intellectual property rights (IPR) among the DIET teachers of Himachal Pradesh. Future primary teachers who will shape the young brains of our country are being prepared by teachers in DIETs. Teachers use both open educational resources and online educational content, thus, they must be acquainted with these resources and how to use them effectively. Online content and OER are made available under several licenses and  IPRs. Providing acknowledgment and monetary gains to the creator or innovator can encourage the educational community, whereas a lack of understanding of IPR could obstruct societal and economic growth. Therefore, any country must spread awareness about OER and licensing and apply it effectively.