Open Education Resources--What they are, and what they aren't

What is OER?

OER stands for Open Educational Resources, and is a term that refers to any educational resources that are typically:

1. Free to access online
2. Low cost to get a print copy
3. Licensed by the author/creator with rights that are less restrictive than copyright (i.e. all rights reserved). This license typically includes the right of any user to copy (digitally) & print the text as well as the right to adapt it as desired for use in a course.

Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, or research materials offered freely and openly for anyone to use. The term OER generally refers to digital resources and may be in the public domain, or offered under an open license that allows for reuse, revision, remixing, and/or redistributing. 

What is not OER

• Any eBook (unless it is free)
  
• Any website (unless it has a Creative Commons License)
  
• Articles from a library database (the student tuition pays for access)

What does this mean for CLC?

It means people sometimes get confused!  The college is supportive of faculty offering no- or low-cost textbook alternatives as a method of getting to students to have ready access to course materials and ultimately increase student success.  However, not all no- or low-cost materials are OER.  In order to truly be considered an open educational resource, that resource must be free and open to share with anyone (typically under a Creative Commons license).  

The Teaching, Learning and Educational Technology Center serves as CLC's Clearinghouse for Open Education Resources, and we are happy to help you learn more about them, where to find them, and how to use them!