Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources (OER) offer a promising solution to address equity and access issues in professional development for academic staff. By providing free and accessible learning materials, OER can help overcome barriers to professional growth, particularly for those who may face limited opportunities due to factors such as workload, location, or financial constraints. OER can support collaboration, curriculum innovation, and student-led content creation, fostering a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. Additionally, OER-based capacity building programs can be tailored to meet the specific needs of diverse academic staff, including those from under-represented groups. By leveraging OER and promoting digital literacy, higher education institutions can create a more equitable and inclusive professional development landscape for their staff.

Transitioning to OER

It is important to develop and follow a plan to support OER.

Planning for OER Implementation: A Comprehensive Approach

When transitioning to Open Educational Resources (OER), schools and districts must proactively plan for the necessary infrastructure and materials to support effective instruction. In the absence of traditional publisher-provided textbooks, workbooks, and hands-on materials, schools will need to source alternative resources or create their own.

Technology Considerations:

• Device Provision: Ensure that teachers and students have access to devices (e.g., computers, tablets) capable of accessing OER, particularly those that rely heavily on technology, such as video tutorials or adaptive assessments.
• Network Infrastructure: Assess network requirements and make necessary improvements to provide reliable internet access for all OER resources.

Material and Equipment Needs:

• Print Resources: Determine the need for printed materials, such as leveled readers or practice worksheets, and allocate resources accordingly.
• Classroom Equipment: Evaluate classroom equipment requirements, including projectors or casting devices, and adaptive technology for students with disabilities.
• Resource Repository: Consider creating a central, online repository to organize and easily access curated OER resources.

By carefully planning for these essential components, we can ensure a smooth transition to OER and provide a high-quality learning experience for all students.

General OER Repositories

• OER Commons: A public digital library of OER.
• MERLOT: A curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services.
• OpenStax: A nonprofit organization that produces high-quality, free, and openly licensed textbooks.
• Saylor.org: Offers free online courses and textbooks.
• Open Educational Resources (OER) – USU Libraries: A collection of OER textbooks and resources.

Subject-Specific Repositories

• Khan Academy: Offers free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.
• OpenCourseWare (OCW): A free and open online initiative from MIT, providing access to course materials.
• Open Educational Resources (OER) – University of Michigan: A collection of OER resources from the University of Michigan.
• Open Educational Resources (OER) – University of California, Berkeley: A collection of OER resources from the University of California, Berkeley.

Search Engines and Aggregators

• OER Metafinder: A search engine for OER.
• OASIS: An open-source platform for sharing and discovering OER.