Open educational resources and the evolving value chain of education in developing countries

Open educational resources (OER), in combination with emerging information and communication technologies (ICT), may enable opportunities for education in regions of the world where few opportunities exist today. There are growing literatures examining the underlying technology and the practice of open education, but the social implications of OER for groups and communities in developing countries have received comparably less attention. This paper seeks to better understand the social impact of OER by systematically applying two theoretical frameworks from the management literature on technological innovation. First, we assess the influence of nonmarket forces on the motivation and ability for OER innovation. Second, we examine the evolving value chain of education in developing countries. We find that OER are causing some participants in the value chain to change their roles, allowing others to shorten distances and bypass barriers, and enabling new participants that did not exist before. For developing countries, these changes provide opportunities to enhance access to education resources.