Open Education Resources (OER) are teaching tools that fall under an open-copyright license-- in other words they fall under the public domain or have certain permissions from the creator. Depending on the type of license, this will allow instructors to adopt for their course, access, use, edit, and share these resources. In order for a resource to be considered truly OER, it must follow certain criteria (the 5R's):
Reuse: Resource can be reused in its original form.
Retain: Instructors and users have the right to take ownership of creating, archiving, and using the resource.
Revise: Resource can be adapted or modified to meet the needs of the instructor or user.
Remix: The resource can be combined with other content to create something new.
Redistribute: Copies of the resource can be shared with others in any version (original, revised, remixed, etc.).
What types of resources can be OER?
How can OER benefit instructors?
How can OER benefit students?
Much of the above information adapted from the BC Campus OpenEd site.
To see the entire video playlist, go to the YouTube playlist on the Council of Chief State School Officers channel.
Information on creating and curating OER materials, best practices, and things to consider:
Book: Modifying an Open Textbook: What you Need to Know
Book: Guidelines for Open Educational Resources (OER) in Higher Education
Report: Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Open Educational Resources
Research Guide tab: OER Accessibility
Are you looking for OER links and resources? Check out the List of OER Materials and Resources sub-tab.