UNT Dallas Library: Open Access Resources: Open Educational Resources

What are Open Educational Resources?

Open educational resources (OERs) are resources that are part of the public domain, or have been released under a license that permits free use. OERs include learning content such as videos, audio clips, images, lecture notes, reading lists, course assignments, syllabi and lesson plans, textbooks, reports, articles, data, instructional games, tests and quizzes, etc. A broader definition of OER encompasses software tools such as open-source software (course management systems, video and web page editing systems, open operating systems, etc.), as well as implementation resources such as intellectual-property licenses, best-practices documents, and interoperability standards and guidelines.

Learn More About OER

Texas Learn OER
Ten self-paced, peer-reviewed training modules are designed to provide Texas higher education instructors with a solid foundation in using OER. In this program, trainees will learn how to identify, evaluate, and create OER.
Tutorial - Open Educational Resources
This course is meant as a primer to anyone interested in learning more about the OER movement. Topics include the origins of open resources, copyright and open licensing, and best practices to apply when searching for OER.

OER Organizations

Digi Tex (Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas)
Among its many services, DigiTex facilitates the development and use of open educational resources among colleges and universities in the state of Texas.
International Counsel for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) is the leading global membership organization for open, distance, flexible and online education, including e-learning.
ISKME (Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education)
Through its OER Professional Development program, ISKME provides innovative open educational resource training for teachers. (See the links for OER Services and OER Training in the What We Offer section.)
Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA)
According to its website, OASPA was created "to support and represent the interests of Open Access (OA) journal and book publishers globally in all scientific, technical, and scholarly disciplines." To this end, OASPA exchanges information, sets standards, educates, and promotes innovation.
Open Education Global
Open Education Global is a worldwide community of several hundred higher education institutions and associated organizations committed to advancing OpenCourseWare and its impact on global education.

OER Repositories

MERLOT
MERLOT is a free and open online community of resources designed primarily for faculty, staff and students of higher education from around the world to share their learning materials and pedagogy. MERLOT provides collections of peer reviewed online learning materials, catalogued by registered members and a set of faculty development support services. Most, but not all, Merlot resources are Creative Commons licensed.
OER Commons
OER Commons is a public digital library of open educational resources.
Open Course Library
The Open Course Library is a collection of expertly developed educational materials – including textbooks, syllabi, course activities, readings, and assessments – in 81 high-enrollment college courses. 42 courses have been completed so far, providing faculty with a high-quality, affordable option that will cost students no more than $30 for textbooks. All materials are shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY) license unless otherwise noted.
Open Stax
High-quality, peer-reviewed, openly licensed college textbooks that are absolutely free online and low cost in print.
Open Textbook Library
Open textbooks are licensed by authors and publishers to be freely used and adapted. Download, edit and distribute them at no cost.
Saylor Academy
Saylor.org is a free and open collection of college level courses developed by a team of experienced college professors to fulfill the same learning objectives as traditional college courses. Courses are licensed using Creative Commons.
UK Open University Learning Space
The UK Open University Learning Space over 900 free online courses available from introductory to postgraduate level. All courses are licensed with Creative Commons.

Open Access Resources: Open Educational Resources

What are Open Educational Resources?

Learn More About OER

OER Organizations

OER Repositories

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