In this module we are sharing resources for you to read or watch that can help you through the process of considering your instructional needs with Open Educational Resources (OER). While there is an expansive array of resources we could share with you, we are placing resources here that we believe will help you the most with immediate course design needs. Of course, many of you are coming to OER for a variety of needs and we will do our best to help you consider your instructional needs along the way.
In this first module, the content we are sharing will address one of the three ‘big idea’ questions you need to consider on your OER adoption journey:
“How do you think through how to find open educational resources that replace your current textbook?”
Module Objectives
By the end of the module, you should be able to:
- Review and identify the difference between an OER and other free educational materials
- Identify search tools for finding open educational resources
- Conduct a search for open educational resources
Navigate to the first chapter called “What Does the Research Say?“
Throughout this book we use the term OER for Open Educational Resources. This term has several different meanings. For most, OER is reserved for resources that fall within the 5Rs framework, retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute. Within this framework, OER refers specifically to resources that can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed by other authors and adopting educators. Not all freely available resources can be revised, remixed and redistributed.
Within this work, we approach OER with a broader definition, including non-remixable resources like library resources, web resources, public data sets, public case studies, and more. These are often referred to as ZTC - Zero Textbook Cost materials.
Given our broader definition, we chose to use OER throughout as it is the more commonly recognized acronym. We do acknowledge there are different definitions, and adopters should pay careful attention to the copyright and research in their areas when using terminology.
Throughout this book we use the broad term adoption for the process of selecting/identifying a text(s) or series of materials to support learners within a learning space. The assumption is that selecting/identifying the text(s) or materials leads to use within the course. Because OER can be used to support learners in a wide variety of spaces, we use the term adoption to include classroom, curricular, co-curricular, and beyond classroom learning spaces educators, instructors, librarians, and/or instructional designers encounter as part of their work. For instance, this book could be 'adopted' by centers for teaching and learning as OER for future faculty adopters.
