DOI: 10.4018/IJWLTT.2017040103 Copyright © 2017, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies Volume 12 • Issue 2 • April-June 2017 E-Learning System of Asia Through Open Courseware (OCW) and Educational Resources (OER) for Universal Access to Knowledge and Information Soumen Kayal, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India Baisakhi Das, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India ABSTRACT One of the most impressive uses of information and communication technology is the advent of e-learning. The current E-learning system mainly plays a role of learning assistance such as providing learning content or learning information, and sometime it provides channels or platform in the learning environment for discussion and interaction. In recent years E-learning has changed sophisticatedly in teaching method in higher education of Asian countries. The success of E-learning depends on the some circumstance like learning effectiveness, cost effectiveness, institutional commitment, access, faculty satisfaction, and student’s satisfaction. Accessing has become more widely permitted through the open courseware. Open Courseware is one of the effective new types of E-learning system raised in recent years. This paper discusses the importance of e-learning system in higher education, and universal access to knowledge and information in the network and digital environment through Open Courseware. Some of the major initiatives and the targets segments covered by the online education have also been studied in this article. KEyWORdS Communication Technology, E-Learning, Open Courseware, Universal Access of Information INTROdUCTION We live in a consistently changing World. The presence of computers has revolutionized the world. Computers have brought a host of new technologies for education. One of the most effective uses of information and network technology is the advent of E-Learning. E-Learning means making Internet as a platform for all learning activities electronically. Learning has changed as well. Starting from the ancient guru-kula system to the formal classroom learning in schools to distance education, the process of learning in education has come a long way. The advancement of a number of e-learning systems is changing higher education completely, especially in terms of content, delivery and quality. There are five main participants - authors, students, leaders, teachers and Administrator (system administrators) playing active role in E-learning. In general, e-learning is the delivery of education which includes activities related to instruction, teaching and learning through various electronic media such as Internet, intranets, extranets, satellite TV, video/audio tape and/ or CDCD-ROM. Similarly, Open courseware is the process of e-learning repository of the study and learning materials in digital form in the web which is open for every user i.e. Open Access. These repositories envisage to store, index, preserve, distribute and share the digital learning resources with any time access offering interoperability. 43