3.2 In-Class

Beginning your OER search using Google can be both confusing and time consuming. You’re bound to be overwhelmed by your search results and not everything you find will be considered an open education resource. Luckily, we have the expertise of the Leeward Librarians to help you in this process of searching. They are experts in the field of finding resources, so with their help, based on the subject you teach, you will be directed to a few resources to start with.

Again learning from the experience of our librarians, you will familiarize yourself with established criteria for a good resource, so you will be able to evaluate your own OER resources as you find them.

Activity 1: Sorting Resources

First, in teams, you will be sorting different types of resources into public domain, copyright or creative commons resources. We will share our findings and discuss as a group.

Then, you will be "competing" in a game against each other to reinforce these concepts.

Activity 2: Using Criteria to Evaluate OER

In a team you will examine two established criteria for OER evaluation:

1. The Open Textbooks Review Criteria was developed at BCcampus, a major OER initiative in British Columbia, Canada.

2. The Interactive Learning Materials Criteria was developed to evaluate materials with higher levels of student engagement than traditional textbooks.

Go to the OER Review Criteria Template to view both criteria.

Discuss the criteria and consider the following questions:

• Are the criteria relevant to your subject area or needs?

• Does it cover all aspects for evaluating teaching materials in your area?

• Is it necessary to modify the criteria to better suit your needs?

Each group will briefly summarize their discussion and present any proposals for modifying the criteria to the class.

The BCcampus also developed a faculty guide for evaluating OER in a checklist format for ease of use.

• Faculty Guide for Evaluating Open Education Resources Checklist

Activity 3: Open Textbook Library Review

The Open Textbooks Library is a catalog of free, peer-reviewed, openly-licensed textbooks supported by the Open Textbooks Network, a growing network of higher-education institutions across the U.S. supporting the adoption of open textbooks. The Open Textbook Library uses the Open Textbooks Review Criteria for its textbook reviews.

Go to the Open Textbooks Library and browse their catalog. Look for a peer-reviewed title, preferably in your subject area, and read the review.