2.1. Tues - Finding OER
Day's Objectives
Where to find more OER
Identify criteria for a good resource
Evaluate OER using criteria
Activity: Sorting Resources By Usage Rights
First, in teams, you will be sorting different types of resources into public domain, copyright, or Creative Commons categories.
We will share our findings and discuss as a group.
Finding OER using Google Advanced Search
Open Textbook Library (Peer-reviewed textbooks)
The Open Textbook Library is a catalog of free, peer-reviewed, openly-licensed textbooks supported by the Open Textbook 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 Textbook Review Criteria for its textbook reviews.
Go to the Open Textbook Library and browse their catalog. Look for a peer-reviewed title, preferably in your subject area, and read one or two of the reviews. Then briefly browse the textbook.
Consider the following questions:
How helpful was the review?
How important is it to have peer reviews available to you?
Did your opinion of the textbook differ from the review?
Evaluating OER
The following sets of evaluation criteria will be used for your upcoming resource review:
The Open Textbooks Review Criteria was developed at BCcampus, a major OER initiative in British Columbia, Canada.
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 of evaluating teaching materials in your area?
Would you add or modify the criteria in any way?
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.
Activity: Review a textbook in the Open Textbook Library
Make a copy of the OER Review Template
Rename the document with the title of the OER and the name of the collection or repository where you discovered it.
Example: OER Review OpenStax Biology (OpenStax via Open Textbook Library)
Write your review using the evaluation criteria.
Save your OER review in an MS Word or Google Docs file format.