Open Educational Resources and the Teaching of Public International Law: A German Lens on a Global Matter

This article explores the potential of Open Educational Resources (OER) as a means to mitigate the prevailing patterns of exclusion in the teaching of public international law. Furthermore, it suggests concrete solutions to overcome some of the existing challenges OER face. The article does so based on a non-representative survey conducted among German law students regarding access to teaching materials. The survey yields four key results: Firstly, a majority of students still prefer conventional, non-Open-Access teaching materials for reasons of quantity and quality. Secondly, the survey confirms that most, especially female, students lack access to teaching materials for financial reasons. Thirdly, findings suggest that enhancing the acceptance of OER among students depends on improving their quality, accessibility, and variety. Finally, female students emphasise the importance of inclusive language and non-prejudiced examples in educational resources.