Content: Does this OER cover what you'd like your students to learn in the course?
Accessibility: Is the content and reading level at the right level for your students?
Use: Is the license open? Can you share, reuse, and remix the content freely?
Quality: Is the OER peer reviewed? Can you read reviews from other instructors who teach courses like yours?
Format: Does the material come in a format your students can access easily? Is special software required? Can the material be printed or purchased in print at a low cost?
Source: University of Texas Libraries Open Educational Resources LibGuide
Achieve OER Rubrics: Online evaluation tool and eight rubrics to help educators evaluate the quality of instructional resources.
BCCampus Faculty Guide for Evaluating OER: Checklist of traits to look out for in OER.
iRubric - Evaluating OER: List of questions to ask before considering whether an OER meets the needs of your course.
OER Evaluation Checklist: Short checklist for a quick evaluation of resources.
There are six different license types, listed from most to least permissive:
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. CC BY includes the following elements:
BY: credit must be given to the creator
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-SA includes the following elements:
BY: credit must be give to the creator
SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommerical purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC includes the following elements:
BY: credit must be given to the creator
NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-NC-SA includes the following elements:
BY: credit must be given to the creator
NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted
SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms
This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. CC BY-ND includes the following elements:
BY: credit must be given to the creator
ND: No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted
This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC-ND includes the following elements:
BY: credit must be given to the creator
NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted
ND: No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted
CC0 (aka CC Zero) is a public dedication tool, which enables creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions.
Authoring Open Textbooks: Guide for those involved in the production of open textbooks. Includes a checklist for getting started, publishing program case studies, textbook organization and elements, writing resources, and an overview of useful tools.
BCcampus Accessibility Toolkit - 2nd Edition: Provides resources for any individual needing assistance to create a truly open textbook.
Guide to Making Open Textbooks with Students: Handbook for faculty insterested in practicing open pedagogy by involving students in the making of open textbooks and OER.
The Learning Portal OER Toolkit: Provides information and tools to help faculty understand, engage with, and sustain OER in their work and practice.
The OER Starter Kit: Created to provide instructors with an introduction to the use and creation of OER.
The OER Starter Kit Workbook: Remix of the OER Starter Kit including worksheets to help instructors practice skills to find, use, and create OER's.
BCCampus Self Publishing Guide: Reference guide for individuals or groups wanting to write and self publish an open textbook.
Libre OCR: LibreOffice extension helping users upload images and convert them to editable documents using an external OCR service.
LibreOffice: Free office suite for creating documents such as spreadsheets, presentations, vector graphics, and formula editing.
Manifold Guide: Created by the University of Minnesota Press, serves as a digital book publishing platform.
OER Commons Open Author: Create, curate, and remix OER using easy to use editing tools.
Pressbooks: User friendly publishing platform to help create, adapt, and share accessible web-first books.
