Open Educational Resources

Here are some questions to consider when thinking about the adoption of Open Educational Resources:

1. Does the OER cover the content you would like your students to learn in your course?
2. How accessible is the OER content? How easily can you implement OER into your lesson plans?
3. Can you remix or revise the OER? It is important to verify what type of license the resource falls under. Will you have to give attribution for using the resource?
4. How will you use the OER in your class? Will you need to combine multiple resources? Does the library have access to similar content that you can use to supplement readings?
5. How will you preserve your OER materials? How will you align these resources with the learning objectives on your syllabus?

Open Education Resources can vary in quality and it is important to take time to carefully evaluate them before use. Below are some criteria to consider when considering OER for the classroom:

• Authority: Who is the creator of the resource? What are the author's qualifications?
• Accuracy: Does the OER contain any factual errors or formatting issues? Does the resource have a professional appearance?
• Objectivity: Does any bias exist in the author's approach or in the content presented?
• Currency: When was the resource created or last updated?
• Coverage: Does the resource add value to your class? Could it be supplemented with additional library materials?
• Accessibility: Is the resource ADA compliant? What formats are available?
• License: Does the OER contain a creative commons license? What does the license allow you to do with the resource? Will you need to provide attribution if used?