OER Part 1: What is OER?

In the past two decades, technology has opened up exciting new pathways for educators. Students today are used to having knowledge at their fingertips. They can access knowledge instantaneously and interact with it in ways we have not always foreseen. The low-cost to free price tag on OER, along with the instantaneous access, has led the way for Open Education Resources (OER) in all levels of education.

What is it?

OER, according to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (2017), “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.” However, in a slightly more open definition, OER consists of digital media that are free to use. However, if a student wishes for the print version, it may cost, but usually at a much lower price than the standard textbook.

Where can I find it?

Open Education Resources can be found on education sites run by universities, teachers, nonprofit charities, and corporations, among other places.

Two of the biggest OER depositories are OpenStax and OER Commons. OpenStax is run by Rice University, which is a 501 C (3) nonprofit charity. Their mission is to “give every student the tools they need to be successful in the classroom” (OpenStax, 2019). OER Commons defines itself as a “public digital library of open educational resources.” (OER Commons, 2019).

 Who is creating these resources?

Professors, subject matter experts, and researchers, author OERs. While anyone can write OERs, not anybody does so. It takes a lot of time and resources to write a textbook. Yet it still leads to the major question that must be asked. How scholarly rigorous are these items?

How can we ensure quality?

This can depend. When deciding what OERs to use, the instructor needs to look at the course materials and see what others in their field are saying about the resource. Most big OER sites have peer reviews, editorial comments, and previous instructors and students who can comment on the usefulness of the resource.

 What should I look for in an OER?

Austin CC gives the following factors as criteria to consider when deciding where or not to adapt or adopt an OER textbook.

Check:

  • Accuracy / Quality of Content
  • Relevance
  • Production Quality
  • Accessibility
  • Interactivity
  • Cultural Relevance & Sensitivity
  • Licensing
  • Ease of Adaptability

Basically, it comes down to you, the instructor, to decide if an OER is not only applicable for your course, but well-written and accurate.

Conclusion

Open Education Resources have benefits as well as drawbacks. Both must be considered before an instructor decides to adopt an OER. But if a balance can be drawn or the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, then it should be considered as a valuable resource that instructors and students can use.

References

ACC Library. (2019). Open educational resources: Selection criteria & evaluation of OER. ACC Library Services: Research Guides. Retrieved from https://researchguides.austincc.edu/oer/criteria

The Hewlett Foundation. (2013, March 27). Open education resources. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources#cite_ref-6

OER Commons. (2019). Open educational resources. Retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org

Rice University. (2019). OpenStax. Retrieved from https://openstax.org

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