Defining OER
What is OER?
Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions. [1]
Why use OER?
According to SPARC:
- Textbook costs should not be a barrier to education.
- Students learn more when they have access to quality materials.
- Technology holds boundless potential to improve teaching and learning.
- Better education means a better future. [2]
How do I know if a resource is an OER?
The key distinguishing characteristic of OER is its intellectual property license and the freedoms the license grants to others to share and adapt it. If a lesson plan or activity is not clearly tagged or marked as being in the public domain or having an open license, it is not OER.[2]
[1] Definition from the Hewlett Foundation - CC License
[2] Adapted from SPARC Open Education - CC License
- Open Oregon FAQQuestions about Open Educational Resources that faculty frequently ask.
- Open Educational ResourcesOverview written by Nagar, Rashelle and Jill Hallam-Miller for the Spring 2019 edition of "Tips and Trends" from the ACRL Instruction Section.
Toolkits, Tutorials, etc.
- SUNY OER Community Course ExperienceThese SUNY OER Community Courses will introduce you to the fundamental principles and effective practices related to Open Educational Resources.
- OER Toolkit (Canada)Excellent resource from Ontario Libraries.
- Open Washington: Learn OERDetailed modules that explain concepts related to OER. Created for Washington State Community and Technical College (WA CTC) faculty.
- OER Mythbusting
OER Mythbusting addresses the top seven myths about OER in North American higher education, as voted on by more than 100 faculty, librarians, students, and other members of the OER community.
Library Help
What the Library Can Do
- Help faculty identify existing OER materials, including alternatives to textbooks
- Make suggestions on where to search for OER
- Give options for ways that students can access resources
- Advise on use of Creative Commons licenses
What the Library Cannot Do
- Be completely knowledgeable of your subject area
- Make the final call on the quality of a resource
- Choose your textbook or course material
- Interfere with your academic freedom
Adapted from "OER Toolkit: Curating" by The Learning Portal College Libraries Ontario and is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
About this Guide
This LibGuide was created by Angela Davis, Pitt Community College and adapted for use by Paula Hopper, Director BCCC Library.
Unless otherwise noted, OER: Open Educational Resources by Pitt Community College Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.