Open Educational Resources

Tips and Tricks

• Review the Copyright​ – OER materials are free to use for educational purposes, typically using the ​Creative Commons licenses.
• Consider Remixing – ​When allowed by the copyright license, adjusting and adapting current OERs (known as remixing) can be the most efficient way to meet course needs.
• Regularly check for new resources – ​New OERs are created all the time, and it is worth regularly reviewing what is available.
• Start small - replace one or two readings for your course with an OER.

You would evaluate OERs just like you would take the time to evaluate traditional textbooks. Here is a checklist that has been modified from the Faculty Guide for Evaluating Open Education Resources by the BCOER Librarians and licensed under CC BY 4.0

Relevance: Does the material address one or more of the class objectives?

Accuracy: Is the information accurate? Is the material peer-reviewed?

Production Quality: Is the information clear and understandable? Is the layout and interface easy to navigate?

Accessibility: Is the resource available in alternative formats (.doc or .pdf)? Are there subtitles or transcripts on audio materials?

Interactivity: Are there opportunities for students to test their understanding of the materials with interactive questions?

Licensing: Does the license allow for educational reuse? Does the license allow for modifications or adaptations? Can you modify the material to better fit the needs of the class?

Utilizing OER within a course falls along a spectrum. Incorporating OER can fall under any of the following degrees:  

• Partial adoption of existing materials
• Full adoption of existing materials
• Creation of new materials

While we may need to create new material to fill in certain gaps, it is also likely that existing OERs can be utilized to meet the needs of our course.