2
OER can be integrated into classes as either a primary textbook or supplemental material. As noted earlier in the book, OER represent a wide range of materials, including videos, textbooks, and course assignments. Open Textbooks are exactly like traditional textbooks except that they offer free access to students. These textbooks may also include a CCL. An example of an open textbook is OpenStax’s Psychology book. This is an introductory psychology textbook aimed at undergraduate students. The text also includes some ancillary materials for instructors, like a test bank and PowerPoint slides. The textbook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License which allows instructors to remix, share, transform, and copy as needed. In the current open education landscape, open textbooks are a growing commodity that is generating a lot of research and interest, especially in higher education.
In addition to open textbook options, primary sources are materials that may be considered OER. For example, Project Gutenberg houses thousands of books that fall within the public domain. Image-based primary sources can be discovered and used via the Creative Commons CC Search. Items that fall in the public domain or use CCL allow for certain uses. For more information on these licenses, please see Chapter 3.
The advantage of OER is that it allows instructors to truly mix resources and media to create a customized text or set of resources for their class. And, this is only the first step in open education. The next steps include incorporating more open pedagogy into classes. While open pedagogy is complex, one part of it includes creating assignments for students that build something rather than a “disposable assignment” (Wiley, 2013). In “What is Open Pedagogy”, David Wiley (2013) provides the example of students creating tutorials for future classes as an example of open pedagogy in the classroom. Students learn the class material by creating the tutorials, these can be used in the future by other students. While open pedagogy is a logical next step in higher education, it will take faculty extra time to create this type of assignment.
Quotable Quotes
The Importance of Open
“One of the main motivations behind our involvement in the creation and distribution of OER is to ensure educational materials are accessible to all students. The rising cost of textbooks creates a substantial barrier to learning for many students, locally and in developing regions (BC Campus, n.d.).”
Did you know?
As of 2016, there are over 306 Millions Creative Commons licensed photographs available (Fact File, 2016). That number continues to rise.
Additional OER Resources
R campus, OER Assessment Rubric
https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=L9WC6X&sp=yes
OER Evaluation Checklist
http://guides.library.illinois.edu/ld.php?content_id=9830689
A Guide to Teaching with Open Educational Resources (OER)
https://cer.jhu.edu/files/guide-to-open-education-resources.pdf
Idaho Training Clearinghouse: OER
https://idahotc.com/Topics/N-Z/Open-Educational-Resources#10769
References
1.BC Campus. (n.d.) Open education advocacy. Retrieved from https://bccampus.ca/topics-of-practice/open-education/advocacy/.
2. Fact File. (2016). 10 facts about Creative Commons. Retrieved from https://factfile.org/10-facts-about-creative-commons.
3. Wiley, D. (2013). What is open pedagogy. Retrieved from https://opencontent.org/blog/archives/2975.