Get OER Support
OER Course for Instructors!
 |
Transform your Teaching with Open Educational Resources, a course developed by the Mansfield Library and UMOnline, is open to all UM and Missoula College instructors. The course includes a series of nine self-paced, online learning modules that provide in-depth coverage of OER, Creative Commons licensing, finding and evaluating OER, and open pedagogy. Take the entire course, or dip into the individual modules that are relevant to your needs. Each module includes a downloadable "key takeaways" document for easy access to key concepts and useful links. Contact Wendy Walker with questions. |
What are Open Educational Resources (OER)?
"Open Educational Resources 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." -- The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
In short, OER are educational materials that are openly licensed, customizable, and free to access online.
Textbook costs have risen 812% - 1,041% over the past three decades. Consequently, 65% of students in a national study did not purchase textbooks and 82% of students agreed that free online access to textbooks would help them do “significantly better” in their courses. Open Educational Resources (OER) offer a solution.
OER Benefits
For Faculty:
- OER support academic freedom. Faculty are not locked into publisher platforms or the rigid structure of a commercial text.
- OER are openly licensed, so faculty can modify OER content to make it more accessible, inclusive, and tailored to student needs.
- OER support open and engaging teaching practices.
- OER are easily integrated into Canvas and into courses regardless of teaching modality.
For Students:
- OER save students money. Textbook costs have risen. When students cannot afford their textbooks, nearly two-thirds of students will opt out of buying their textbooks.
- OER contribute to student well-being by eliminating anxiety around course material affordability.
- OER are freely available online to all students on the first day of class, providing equitable access to course content and positively impacting student success and retention.
- OER provide students with unlimited, permanent, and portable access to course materials. OER can be accessed online, accessed on any number of devices, and downloaded, printed, and retained indefinitely.
OER Basics Video
Learn about Open Educational Resources (OER): what they are, why they are important, how they benefit faculty and students, and how to find them.
The OER Faculty Experience Video
Associate Professor Hilary Martens discusses her experience using OER in her courses. She discusses the benefits of OER, shares a sampling of student testimonials, and offers practical tips for finding open textbooks, other written resources, and open images.