InfoGuides: Open Educational Resources (OER) for Faculty: OER Basics

Definitions

What is OER, Creative Commons
Provides definitions of OER for various organizations.
Creative Commons Education
This resources discusses Open Educational Resources.
Defining and Creating Open Content
This resource outlines and makes suggestions about OER.
Open Textbooks: More Information, Student PIRGs
A website that describes open textbooks, educational resources, licenses, etc.

Best Practices and Policy

BCcampus Open Education Accessibility Toolkit – 2nd Edition
The goal of the BC Open Textbook Accessibility Toolkit is to provide the resources needed to each content creator, instructional designer, educational technologist, librarian, administrator, and teaching assistant to create a truly open and accessible textbook — one that is free and accessible for all students.
A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)
As the title denotes, this is a guide to open educational resources (OER). In addition, this resource includes: making the case for OER; overview of open licenses; distance education; technology; OER mapping; etc.
Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for OpenCourseWare, School of Communication American University
This document does the following: defines OER; considers fair use; addresses licensing confusions; and details a code of best practices in fair use for OpenCourseWare.
Guide for Open Educational Resources (OER) in Higher Education, UNESCO
Provides Guidelines on OER for governments, higher education institutions, academic staff, student bodies, and accreditation bodies created by UNESCO.
OER Policy Registry, Creative Commons
OER Policy Registry is a database of current and proposed open education policies from around the world.
Open Textbooks: The Billion-Dollar Solution
A report created by the Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG). This analyzes open textbook programs at Amherst, Kansas State University, Tacoma Community College, University of Minnesota, and the University of Maryland. It also presents challenges and policy recommendations for institutions, faculty, and policymakers.
Texas Toolkit for OER Course Markings (a living guide): Getting Started
"This toolkit is a living document that can help Texas institutions implement course marking solutions."

Understanding Creative Common Licenses

Creative Commons Licenses
Many OER resources are licensed through a Creative Commons license. This resource describes and informs on the different licenses available through the Creative Commons.

Creative Common Icons

CC Icon	Abbreviation	Meaning
	BY	Attribution – one must cite the source if used.
	NC	Noncommercial – one cannot make money off of it.
	SA	Share Alike – one can only reuse the resource if your CC license is the same as theirs.
	ND	No Derivatives – one cannot alter and redistribute the derivative work

Creating OER

Open Washington
Provides a short workshop to learn about OER, links to OER resources (many already on this LibGuide), an attribution builder, and OER stories.
Writing an Online, Open Textbook: Is it Worth it?
A blog entry discussing the author's decision for and experience with writing an open textbook.

Further Information

Fixing the Broken Textbook Market: How Students Respond to High Textbook Costs and Demand Alternatives
A report created by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Student PIRGs. Key findings of this report are: textbook costs are continuing to increase, textbook costs have an effect on students’ other academic decisions, and students want alternatives. The report provides recommendations for students, faculty, campus administrators, legislatures, and publishers.
Foundations for OER Strategy Development
The purpose of this document is to provide a concise analysis of where the global OER movement currently stands: what the common threads are, where the greatest opportunities and challenges lie, and how we can more effectively work together as a community.
OER Impact Map
OER Impact Map is a record of evidence about the global impact of open educational resources (OER). The purpose is to help people understand the impact of open educational resources (OER).
MATHML
Make math online accessible. MathML is a low-level specification for mathematical and scientific content on the Web and beyond. These pages provide you with information on how to learn and use MathML, on available software, and news from the MathML community.