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Open Educational Resources (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)

Guide for instructors interested in adopting Open Education Resources for ZTC courses.

Using OERs Step by Step

 

 

Step 1: Find OERs.

There are several places on the web where you can easily find OERs and supplemental resources, including: OER databases, our library catalog, Google Advanced search, and library guides from other college campuses. You can get started with the list of OER repositories below.

You can also use AI to find OERs if you are comfortable. Be very thorough with your evaluations if you take this approach, as the AI can't accurately evaluate the resource for you. You can see instructions on how to use and troubleshoot AI searches in the Searching for OER with AI page of this LibGuide.

 

Step 2: Evaluate your findings.

When you find an OER that you like, make sure to take extra steps to evaluate the resource. Some of the repositories below, like COOL4ED, Merlot, and Open Textbook Library, post content and accessibility evaluations for each OER. Other repositories, such as OER Commons, indicate whether a resource has been peer reviewed and by which institution. Still, the best (but probably the most time-consuming) way to see if it meets your needs is looking through the content yourself. You can use this evaluation checklist developed by Open Oregon to evaluate the OERs you find.

 

Step 3: Modify or adapt the OER if necessary.

In case a resource does not meet your needs and it has the appropriate Creative Commons license, you can freely modify or adapt the resource.* Follow the resources listed below under Adapting OER and the All About Creative Commons page for further guidance.

* Note: You cannot modify CC ND or CC NC-ND licensed works.

 

Step 4: Properly attribute your resources.

Most Creative Common licenses require you to attribute the work when using it, modified or not. If you are using the OER as is, you only need to attribute that resource. When modifying or adapting OERs into another resource, attribute the other resources you used. In both cases, follow the instructions in the Attributing OERs section below.

Finding OER Textbooks in a Repository

 



Top OER Repositories


Other OER Sources


Search Multiple Repositories at Once


"Searching OER Repositories and Collections," OER Basics (Canvas Course), ASCCC OERI, CC BY 4.0.

Finding OERs in Library Catalog

Some OERs are available in the library catalog.


Search the Library Catalog


screenshot of left sidebar on catalog search results. The Open Access option is fourth on the "Availability" list. "Availability" is nested under "Sort By".

Search for your subject. When the results appear, find Sort by on the left sidebar.

 

Under Availability on the left sidebar, check the Open Access box (pictured on the right).


Best Practices for Using Library Materials

  1. Consult a librarian. Ask them about the specific resources you might want to use in your class. 
  2. Be aware that many online materials, such as e-books and journals articles, are not owned by the library. This means that resources may change from semester to semester as subscriptions change. 
  3. Know that e-books may not be accessible by more than one student at a time depending on the license of the individual e-book.
  4. For use of library materials in your course, such as an article from a database, properly link to the resource instead of making digital copies. If you do not know how to link to a library resource, consult a librarian on your campus.

"Using Library Materials," OER Basics (Canvas Course), ASCCC OERI, CC BY 4.0.

Finding E-Books in the Library Catalog

Finding Open Access Articles

This video explains how to find open-access articles for college research using the open access research databases: Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), PLOS ONE, and Hindawi. it also describes how to filter for open access articles on Google Scholar. A brief description of open access is provided. Open-access and hybrid search engines are explained. 


Open Journal Databases

Open Assignment & Homework Platforms

 

ADAPT Adaptive Learning Assessment System 

Homework system, created by LibreTexts, where instructors can adapt and create customized homework questions; make questions open-ended or autograded; pick between assessment styles; and embed existing material from Canvas or other textbooks. Includes learning analytics.


MyOpenMath

MyOpenMath

Provides homework, quizzes, and tests with rich mathematical content. Large question database and students can get immediate feedback on algorithmically generated questions.


H5P

Free platform where you can make interactive digital tools, integrates with Canvas and LibreTexts. Embed interactive question forms, charts, images/videos, and more. 

 

 


WebWorkWeBWorK Logo

This open-source homework management system integrates with Canvas and has features similar to purchased products such as WebAssign, MyLab, and MasteringPhysics, but at no cost to students. Published by the Mathematical Association of America.

 

 

 

Open Image Collections

Subject-specific image platforms can be found in the OER LibGuide for that subject.


Wikimedia Commons

Millions of freely usable media files contributed by users.


Creative Commons License Search

Search for media that is published under a CC license.


Unsplash

High-resolution images. Note: Avoid "iStock" and "Unplash+" which are NOT free to use.


Pexels

Free, high-quality stock photos and royalty-free images.


Library of Congress Free-to-Use and Reuse Collection

Content from the LC digital collections that is either in the public domain, has no known copyright, or has been cleared by the copyright owner for public use.

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