One of the original motivating factors for the Open Education movement was to allow less-developed countries with fewer educational resources to have access to quality course materials from the world’s best universities. However, anyone can benefit from Open Education – even learners within a developed country like the United States!
Case-in-point: The Williamson Community Unified School District began using Open Education Resources in 2013 when district officials decided not to purchase expensive math books and instead use the money for technology enhancements at district schools. Open resources allowed teachers – and students – to customize their learning experience, which in turn allowed students to focus their attention on aspects of the curricula that truly interested them. What a great way to engage and excite students!
For more information on OER in Williamsburg, see http://us.creativecommons.org/archives/1084.