A new portal providing access to open content announced yesterday:

A new online resource gives teachers and students free access to more than 8,000 digital learning materials. Educators and students can add tags, ratings, reviews, and comments to help others quickly find what they’re looking for. The site’s mission is to provide a single point of access through which educators, students, and all other types of learners can search for, browse, evaluate, and discuss these free learning materials.

Developed by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), the Open Education Resources (OER) Commons combines education resources with extensive social networking. Created by and for educators, students, and self-learners, the site’s teaching and learning materials can be browsed, searched, and most importantly, enhanced using web 2.0 social networking features, such as tagging, ratings, comments, and reviews.

I’m all for this approach to resource development and sharing – reminds me a lot of the 2Learn portal that was developed in Alberta, Canada about six years ago now, and which I frequently refer to as a good example of a ‘teachers for teachers” educational resources portal.

Open Education Resources (OER) Commons website http://www.oercommons.org/

News item courtesy of e-SchoolNews, 9 March 2007