What are OER (Open Educational Resources)?
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources that are free of cost and access barriers, and which can be fully used, shared and adapted in the digital environment.
What are OER? Why use OER? Where is OER? How is OER created? Who can help?
OER Resources for Education
- BCcampus OpenEdBCcampus offers a wide variety of business textbooks that are reviewed by faculty, with some including supplementary material. They also offer a collection of textbooks that are accessible.
- Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)All books listed in DOAB are freely accessible and therefore free to read, but this does not mean readers are free to do anything they like with these books. The usage rights of the books in DOAB are determined by the license.
- EdTech BooksA variety of Open Access books on all aspects of education technology.
- MERLOTMERLOT is a curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services contributed and used by an international education community.
- The National Academies Press (NAP)This resource provides textbooks on various education studies topics.
- OER CommonsOER Commons is a single search source that pulls OER resources from a variety of existing collections.
- Open Textbook LibraryThis site offers a collection of open textbooks. Most are available for download as PDF or EPUB.
Examples of OER Textbooks
Hybrid-Flexible Course Design
This volume provides readers with methods, case stories, and strategies related to Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) course design so that they may make decisions about using it themselves and even begin their own HyFlex course (re)design. More specifically, based on the needs identified for their course(s), readers will be able to:
a) determine if and how HyFlex course design could help them solve critical needs
b) take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve their education practice, enabling them to better serve more students
c) gain an awareness of the HyFlex design
d) find their own innovative HyFlex solution to their specific challenges
e) begin the HyFlex implementation process using strategies similar to those used by instructors described in this book
Sharing Our Knowledge: Best Practices for Supporting English Language Learners in Schools
This book covers four main topics surrounding how educators can support English Language Learners in schools
Part 1: Welcoming Environments and Cultural Responsiveness
Part 2: Classroom Support for EAL Learners
Part 3: Settlement and Refugee Support
Part 4: EAL Learners with Special Learning Challenges
Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning
This book examines the underlying principles that guide effective teaching in an age when everyone, and in particular the students we are teaching, are using technology. A framework and a set of guidelines are suggested for making decisions about your teaching, while understanding that every subject is different, and every teacher and instructor has something unique and special to bring to their teaching.
OER Courses and Videos for Education
- Edutopia: Education Video LibraryVideos about K-12 teaching methods and strategies from the George Lucas Educational Foundation.
- edX - Education & Teacher Training CoursesEdX offers online education courses covering a broad range of topics from educational policy and history to curriculum design and teaching techniques. Explore case studies in teaching and learn about how technology is increasing access to quality education on an unprecedented scale.
- CourseraEvery course on Coursera is taught by top instructors from the world’s best universities and educational institutions. Courses include recorded video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums.
- Open LearnOpen Learn provides courses and videos on education and development related topics.