What are Open Educational Resources (OER)? OER are educational materials—such as textbooks, videos, and curricula—that are in the public domain or openly licensed to permit free reuse, revision, and redistribution.
How are OER different from "free" online resources? Not all free resources are OER. A key difference is the legal permission to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute the material, which is granted by an open license, typically from Creative Commons.
Are OER of the same quality as commercial materials? Yes. Many OER are peer-reviewed and vetted through rigorous processes, and research has found students using OER perform as well as or better than those with commercial textbooks.
Do OER require special technology? OER are often digital but can come in many formats, including downloadable PDFs or print-on-demand versions. They are designed to be accessible and usable on multiple devices.
Common questions for faculty
Finding and adopting OER
How do I find OER for my course? Online repositories and guides, such as OER Commons and OpenStax, offer resources for finding OER. You can also search for materials with specific Creative Commons licenses. Additionally, librarians are available to assist you in finding materials.
What if I can't find a perfect OER for my course? A key benefit of OER is the ability to adapt, customize, and remix existing materials to fit your needs. Supplementing open materials with other resources is also an option.
Is it a lot of work to transition my course to OER? Course redesigns may require time, but many faculty find the process rewarding. Institutional libraries or OER initiatives often provide support.
How do I legally share OER with my students? Resources can be linked from your syllabus or learning management system (LMS), or a downloadable file can be uploaded to the course.
Licensing and intellectual property
Do I give up my intellectual property rights by creating OER? No. As the author, you retain copyright. Applying a Creative Commons license grants specific permissions to others while still maintaining ownership of your work.
How does OER affect academic freedom? OER supports academic freedom by providing more control over classroom materials. Unlike traditional publisher materials, OER can be modified to better fit pedagogical needs.
Do I have to "go all in" with OER? No, many instructors begin by using OER to supplement existing materials or adopt a single open textbook before committing fully to an open approach.
Common questions for students
How do I access OER? Your instructor will provide a link to the online resource in the course syllabus or on your course's LMS. If a printed version is available, it is often sold at the campus bookstore for a low cost.
Are OER actually free? Yes, digital versions of OER are free to access and download. Printed copies require only the cost of printing, which is much lower than commercial textbooks.
Do OER help me succeed in my class? Students using OER perform as well as or better than those using traditional materials. Having free, day-one access to course materials ensures students have the necessary resources from the start.
Can I keep my OER after the semester ends? Yes, unlike publisher-controlled digital content that expires, you can keep your copy of an OER resource indefinitely.