Read our Impact Report!
See how we've made changes to strive for open education
What is Open?
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 for students.
Open is key; open allows not just access, but the freedom to modify and use materials, information and networks so education can be personalized to individual users or woven together in new ways for diverse audiences, large and small.
Who We Are
Ontario Tech is proud to host the Open Education (OE) Lab - a student-run, staff-managed group that brings content and technological expertise to the timely creation of high quality OER that will be used directly in an Ontario Tech course by Ontario Tech students.
Students working with us gain valuable project management, content development (e.g., writing, editing, media creation) and communication skills which can be implemented in their coursework and on the job. OE Lab jobs are paid positions generously supported through the Ontario University Works program.
What We Do
Since 2018, we've saved our students over $900,000 by using OER at Ontario Tech! But sometimes the OER available online aren't quite what faculty are looking for - they may be too broad, may not have enough examples or practice problems, or really need to be combined with another OER to make it the best it can be. However, finding the time and resources to modify or adapt available OER is difficult. The OE Lab provides support for faculty, staff, and students in developing OER and using open education practices to support technology enhanced teaching and learning.
