Can an Open Educational Resource (OER) Be Eaten Raw or Cooked?

Abstract

The culinary metaphor of raw and cooked allows us to explore the notions inherent in OER broadcast formats. Thanks to their flexibility, OERs can be used as they are, modified, adapted or translated. The choice of shared file formats is therefore an important one. The “raw” version of an OER is presented in an editable format (e.g., DOCX), enabling users to transform them. Conversely, the “baked” version of OER is fixed by its format (e.g., PDF), which offers fewer possibilities for reuse and can pose technical challenges. Beyond the concepts of raw and cooked, associated with licenses, it is essential to distinguish other concepts such as “free,” “open access,” “free of charge,” and the concept of evolving OER. We discuss the importance of the choice of authoring tools and platforms to respect the spirit of OERs, and the need to share OERs developed on a specialized platform or platforms. We conclude that the distinction between the two versions, raw and cooked, highlights the diversity of uses and contexts in which they are embedded, underlining the importance of a flexible, ethical and inclusive approach to their design, dissemination and reuse.