Open Educational Resources (OER): About OER

Benefits for students:

• Save on textbook costs with low cost or free resources.
• Access resources before classes start.
• Engage with content that is customised and relevant.

The 5 R Permissions of OER

The "5 Rs" is a framework that encourages educators to capitalize on the unique rights associated with open content. These rights include the ability to:

• Retain: Make and own copies of the work (e.g., download, duplicate, store and manage)
• Reuse: Use the work in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)
• Revise: Adapt, modify and translate the work (e.g., translate the content into another language)
• Remix: Combine it with another resource to make a new work (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)
• Redistribute: Share the work with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)

These rights, or permissions, are made possible through open licensing. For example, Creative Commons open licences help creators of OER retain copyright while allowing others to reproduce, distribute, and make some use of their work.

What's Not OER

Below are four key categories of resources that are often considered to fall outside of what is truly OER. Of course, the best mix of materials to meet any given set of learning outcomes will vary and may include a combination of OER and the materials listed below. The key is knowing which resources will best meet your objectives for instruction, and for learners.

Resources that Cannot be Adapted:

Through open licensing, the mission of the OER movement is to exploit the full range of the "5 Rs" permissions of use (see prior tab). Some argue that unless an open licence allows for adaptation of content, then the resource is not truly OER.

• See the six Creative Commons licenses

Web-based Resources that are Fully Copyrighted

All the available resources on the web that you may have access to, but that are not in the public domain, or do not carry a Creative Commons licence or other open licence, are not OER.

Subscription-Based Library Collections

A library's subscription-based resources (journals, videos, and other materials), while accessible to students and faculty, are also not OER. This is because their use in education may be limited by licence agreements.

Open Access Resources

Open access is an important concept, which is related to - but distinct from - OER. Open access typically refers to research publications released under an open licence that allows for their free access and use.

Open access publications sometimes do not allow for adaptation and remixing. While open access articles are freely accessible, authors may retain their copyright and/or assign rights to publishers or users, so permission may be needed for copying and adaptation.

Composing OER

• Once you've gathered a selection of suitable open materials, piece them together to create a learning resource or set of resources to meet your instructional objectives and learning outcomes.
• This is a creative design process of building an educational resource from scratch and/or using components that you have found.
• As you compose, use OER authoring tools to support your work, such as the Open Author Module Builder.

See the Creating Module in this guide for additional support in composing OER or contact your Liaison Librarian for help.

Adopting/Adapting OER

• You may decide to use the OER that you compile "as is" by printing or downloading them, or sharing the links with your students.
• You may also decide to adapt the resources to local needs, or even revise them later based on feedback once implemented.
• Your adaptations may involve minor corrections and improvements, remixing or adding new components, or even completely reworking the resources.

See the Creating Module and the Curating Module in the OER Toolkit from The Learning Portal for additional help adopting or adapting OER or contact your Liaison Librarian for help.

Using OER

• Through open licencing, OER opens up possibilities for new, more collaborative teaching and learning practices--because the materials can be used, adapted and shared within and across learning communities
• As you implement OER in your courses, take advantage of these possibilities. Pair up with a colleague on the implementation of OER, invite peer and student critique of the materials, or engage students as co-creators in OER-based assignments

For additional information on OER practices such as these, see the Teaching Module in the OER toolkit from The Learning Portal, or contact your Liaison Librarian.

Sharing OER

• Make your resources available for your peers and the open education community to find, and to begin the life cycle again.
• Add descriptors so that others can find and use the resource and select the appropriate licence for any new/adapted resources.
• Access online tools that can help you describe and share your resources. Try OER Commons or LibGuides.

For additional information on sharing OER, see the Curating Module in the OER Toolkit from the Learning Portal.