Learn about open

In-Person

Join us Mar 18th - 22nd to learn about OER, play fun games and make a commitment towards open.

Info. Booth Schedule

Tuesday, Mar 19th 2024 10:00am - 2:00pm

Thursday, Mar 21st 2024 10:00am - 2:00pm

Virtual

Browse this site for lots of great OER information, or visit the Teaching and Learning Centre site.

Open educational resources (OER) are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation, and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions. These often include digital textbooks, which are created and distributed free of charge, and allow users to keep and modify the files as they choose. OER have the potential to reduce or eliminate the costs of textbooks and to increase opportunities for access, participation, and achievement for all students.

Working with OER

The power of OER lies in their accessibility. Not only do they remove financial barriers to access, they also invite a variety of uses and adaptations that benefit all learners. The benefits below work together to make OER integral to the growth and sustainability of equitable education.

Benefits for Students

Cost Saving: OER offer affordable learning resources for students, at low cost or often with no cost.

Developmental: Digital OER allow students to practice with various technology offerings, improving digital literacy.

Accessible: Many OER offer enhanced support for those with accessibility needs, including screen reader software support.

Flexible: By offering print and various digital formats, OER give students the flexibility to learn on any device at any time.

Teaching with OER

Student affordability is just one reason to choose OER over traditional resources. There are many other high quality learning resources that cost little or nothing for students. Teaching with OER and embracing open educational practices is rewarding for both instructors and students.

Benefits for Faculty

Flexible: OER give faculty the flexibility to select or modify the text to suit their context for their students.

Collaborative: OER can be created with colleagues, allowing for diverse perspectives to be included in the work.

Current: Being able to modify OER as needed allows faculty to add current research, personal research results, and correct errors without waiting for the next edition.

Rights Of Use

The “5 Rs” is a framework that encourages educators to capitalize on the unique rights associated with open content. These rights, or permissions, are made possible through open licensing. For example, Creative Commons open licenses help creators of OER retain copyright while allowing others to reproduce, distribute, and make some uses of their work.