We hope you find this guide helpful in learning more about openly licensed teaching materials. Faculty can use this guide to get started with finding textbooks, images, syllabi, and more that can be adopted or adapted for use in the classroom. Educators may also consider authoring their teaching resources to support their classroom instruction, and to share with others in their discipline. Students may find this guide useful for getting acquainted with the basics of OER and looking at resources that are available for free.
Thank you to UMass Amherst Library for permission to use and modify their OER guide.
What are Open Educational Resources (OER)?
Open Educational Resources are educational materials and resources offered freely and openly for anyone to use and under some licenses to re-mix, improve and redistribute.They include:
Why OER?
Educators and learners as well as learning institutions are driving its development. OER provides an alternative to the rising costs of education. For example, in some countries like South Africa, many educators and learners are tapping into OER as the only source for textbooks. OER provides an opportunity to try new ways of teaching and learning, many of which are more collaborative and participatory.