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Textbooks, OER, & Library Materials

Open Education Resources (OER)

The 5Rs: Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, Redistribute
by David Wiley
"Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others. OER include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge."
by William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

HIPs for Integrating OER into University Courses

Why OER

OER materials are licensed under Creative Commons licenses. There are six types of Creative Commons licenses. 

Finding OERs

Library Search: EBSCO Discovery

OER Textbooks

OER Textbooks

OER Starter Kit

Written by Abby Elder

This starter kit has been created to provide instructors with an introduction to the use and creation of open educational resources (OER). The text is broken into five sections: Getting Started, Copyright, Finding OER, Teaching with OER, and Creating OER. Although some chapters contain more advanced content, the starter kit is primarily intended for users who are entirely new to Open Education.

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution

Open learning materials might include visual objects, software applications, documents, case studies, practice exercises, and assessment tools.

Are OERs accurate? authoritative? reliable?

  • Accuracy is defined as error-free information, e.g. is the information correct, and error-free presentation, e.g. grammar and formatting.  
  • Authority is understood as having the expertise to write, speak and teach about a particular subject.  
  • Relevancy is defined as understood as materials that cover the content of the course and are appropriate for college learners. 

As you would examine any learning resource, there are several things to consider when evaluating OER materials beyond the content.  For example, are the materials available in multiple formats--can the materials be downloaded? Printed? Place on an e-reader? 

Other factors might include the creator's knowledge and background.  Are there explicit or implicit biases?   Are the materials culturally relevant to your students? Are there quality control issues? Were the materials peer-reviewed? Do the materials meet the learning outcomes for the course? What is the creative commons licensing level?  

CMC faculty suggest using this handy OER rubric when evaluating Open Educational Resources. The rubric can be modified for your individual needs.