OER: Open Educational Resources

Just in time for textbook selection for next fall, take advantage our new OER and Textbook Affordability Consultation service. Fill out this simple form and the librarians will work with you to find open or low-cost options for your required texts. Give all your students a better chance at success with more equitable and accessible options.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are "teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions."  (definition by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation).

The Five Rs of OER

OER materials are released under an open license granting permission for every one to:

• Retain -- users have the right to make, archive, and own copies of the content
• Reuse -- content can be reused in its unaltered form
• Revise -- content can be adapted, adjusted, modified, and altered
• Remix -- original or revised content can be combined with other content to create something new
• Redistribute -- copies of the content can be shared with others in its original, revised or remixed form.

OER include digital learning materials such as:

• open textbooks
• full courses
• modules
• syllabi
• lectures
• homework assignments
• quizzes
• lab activities
• games
• simulations

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