LibGuides: Open Educational Resources: Using OERs

The 5R Permissions of OERs

According to Lumen Learning, "OERs provide teachers, learners, and others with legal permissions to engage in the 5R activities":

Retain - make, own, and control copies of the content
Reuse - use the content in a wide range of ways
Revise - adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content
Remix - combine the original or revised content with other material to create something new
Redistribute - share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others

The OER Starter Kit by Abbey Elder
This starter kit has been designed by Abbey Elder to equip instructors with the skills they need to confidently find, use, or even create open educational resources (OER).
Affordable Course Materials - Understanding your options
Affordable Course Materials: Understanding your options by Abbey K. Elder is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Rubrics for Evaluating OER Objects by Achieve
Achieve is a non-profit organization which focuses on increasing graduation rates and preparing students for college. This rubric is an effective guide to reviewing OERs and determining their value for your course.

According to the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources, there are 5 Steps to OER Adoption:

Review the Materials
1. Research all the options available and decide if it will suit your class' need.
If necessary, modify the OER
1. Depending on the license, some resources will be modifiable. This is your opportunity to make the necessary edits to the OER you've chosen.
Attribution of OER
1. Make sure to attribute the work correctly. Follow "How to attribute a Creative Commons licensed work" for attributing CC licensed materials.
If needed, curriculum approval
1. "Any institutional policies that are specific to your college district or department regarding course materials should be considered well in advance so you can make a smooth transition to OER" (CCCOER, n.d.).
Delivery of OER to student
1. The easiest way to deliver the material to your students is to provide a link for viewing and downloading. Most OERs are available for download in PDF, ePub, Mobi, or DAISY.