Getting Started with OER

What are OER?

• Textbooks: Complete, freely available textbooks.

• Course Materials: Syllabi, lecture notes, assignments, and exams.

• Multimedia: Videos, podcasts, and interactive simulations.

• Primary Sources: Original documents, historical records, and other primary materials.

Benefits of OER

• Cost Savings: Reduces financial burden on students.

• Customization: Allows instructors to modify and adapt resources to fit specific course needs.

• Access: Provides immediate access to learning materials.

Analyze Your Course

• Learning Objectives: Identify the key learning outcomes for your course.

• Current Materials: Review the materials you currently use and identify gaps or areas for improvement.

• Student Feedback: Consider feedback from students regarding current materials.

Here are some reliable OER repositories and databases:

• OpenStax: High-quality, peer-reviewed textbooks.

• OER Commons: A comprehensive digital library of OER.

• MERLOT: A curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services.

• BCcampus OpenEd: Provides openly licensed textbooks and other OER.

Search Strategies

• Keywords: Use specific keywords related to your subject.

• Filters: Utilize filters to narrow down the search by type of material, subject, educational level, etc.

• Advanced Search: Use advanced search options for more precise results.

Additional OER Resources 

Criteria for Evaluation

• Relevance: Ensure the content aligns with your course objectives.

• Quality: Check for peer reviews, author credentials, and publication standards.

• Accuracy: Verify the correctness of the information.

• Accessibility: Ensure materials are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.

• Licensing: Confirm the licensing allows for the intended use (modification, redistribution, etc.).

Tools for Evaluation

• Achieve OER Rubrics: A set of rubrics for evaluating OER quality.

• BCcampus OER Evaluation Guide: Provides a comprehensive guide to evaluating OER.

Adapting and Customizing

• Modification: Adapt the material to better fit your course structure and objectives.

• Combining Resources: Mix and match different OER to create a comprehensive resource.

Attribution and Licensing

• Proper Attribution: Follow the licensing requirements for attributing the original authors.

• ShareAlike: If you modify an OER, share your version under the same license if required.

Technological Integration

• LMS Integration: Incorporate OER into Canvas

• Print Options: Provide options for students to print OER materials if preferred.

Gathering Feedback

• Student Feedback: Regularly collect feedback from students regarding the OER.

• Peer Review: Engage colleagues in reviewing the OER used in your course.

Updating Resources

• Stay Current: Regularly check for updates or new versions of the OER.

• Contribute Back: Share your improvements and adaptations with the OER community.

Institutional Support

• Library: Utilize the college library’s resources and expertise in finding and evaluating OER.

• OER Coordinator: Some institutions have dedicated OER coordinators or support staff.

Professional Development

• Workshops and Training: Attend workshops or training sessions on finding and using OER.

• Online Communities: Join online communities and forums focused on OER.