Including these and more:
Educators can choose which materials they want to incorporate into their courses but keep in mind:
OERs are essential to education as they allow free access to quality educational material. They can replace conventional textbooks at no cost. But more importantly, they allow the instructor to alter the material as needed by their students.
Resource Type | Definition | Modifiable? | Purpose? | Examples | How can faculty use? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Open Access | Any type of resource that is available without barriers and freely distributed online | Only with CC license | Creators wish to share their work with others in order to increase usage and access to users around the globe |
streaming videos media eBooks |
You can link to resource |
Open Source | Source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution | Yes | Creators wish to share their work with others in order to increase usage and access to users around the globe. |
Moodle Koha Firefox |
You can alter code to fit your own needs |
Open Educational Resources (OERs) | Text, media, and digital content that is freely available and has a Creative Commons license that allows for potential modification and redistribution | Yes, with CC license (may vary) | Resources provided by their creator to allow users the ability to alter them. |
wikis eBooks eTextbooks media Assessments
|
Following the CC license you can alter the materials with attribution |
OER Repository | A central location where online resources, such as journals, databases, media, eBooks and other resources are stored | Possibly | Provides central access to a variety of resources that are Open Educational and able to be altered. |
MERLOT OER Metafinder SkillsCommons |
Use this source for finding OERs |
Open Pedagogy | Teaching practice that engages students as creators of information rather than simply consumers of it, otherwise known as Open Educational Practices (OEPs) | Possibly | Provides an alternative teaching method that incorporates student work into a larger project such as an eBook or wiki, allowing the student to create a renewable product. These products can be used in the students' ePortfolios, in future courses by the faculty, and as resources for other students. | wikis developed by faculty and students | Use this method of instruction as an alternative to conventional practices. |
These resources are important for users because they allow unrestricted access to view. The TEACH Act gives extra protection and ability for those in closed courses. You can link to these resources if they are freely available online.
Link to these resources in courses (closed or open), on educational websites, or other places of instruction.
Use these resources if you do not plan to alter the material in any way but instead want to simply link to the online resources.
Please view the Open Access Guide on this page.
CC BY