OER Knowledge CloudJournal Article20092009/02Carson, StephenOpenCourseWareMITlicencesglobal cooperationdigital learningOER historyengOpen Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning24123-291469-9958This article traces the development of the OpenCourseWare movement, including the origin of the concept at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the implementation of the MIT OpenCourseWare project, and the idea’s spread into the global educational community, ultimately resulting in the formation of the OpenCourseWare Consortium. The growth and maturation of the OpenCourseWare Consortium is reviewed and the article considers briefly some possible directions for the future of open education.10.1080/02680510802627787