Creating OER

The ALMS Framework

For work to be truly “open” and allow the 5R permissions (reuse, revise, remix, redistribute, and retain), the work should be meaningfully accessible and editable for adopters. The ALMS framework, established by Hilton, Wiley, Stein, and Johnson (2010), highlights the vital importance of offering source files and creating work in easily adoptable formats. 

• • ACCESS: Offer in a format that can be easily edited with freely accessible tools 

  • LEVEL: Format should not require advanced technical expertise to revise content

  • MEANINGFUL: Offer in an editable format 

  • SOURCE: Source file that is accessible and editable

Using the ALMS framework offers OER creators a structure guiding the openness of the content while ensuring access to adopters in a meaningful way. When creating work, consider sharing it in several formats that permits accessible classroom adoption: MS Word, PDF, and Google doc, etc. 

There are low tech, medium tech, and high tech tools and authoring platforms available to create OER. Check with your institution about institutional licenses and access to technology that is appropriate for the format of the resource. Listed below are some widely used tools:

• • Google Docs

  • Google Sites

  • Google Slides

  • Adobe Spark

  • Pressbooks

  • OER Commons Open Author

Be aware of any restrictions this tool may have on how the final work may be published or shared before creating a new resource. Educational Design experts or librarians may be able to answer any questions about this issue. 

Licensing Your Work

Don’t forget to choose a license for your work! Look at this extensive list of considerations for licensors and licensees before deciding which license to apply to your work. The Creative Commons Choose a License tool works nicely for this.

One Last Reminder:

Creative Commons licenses are non-revocable. This means that you cannot stop someone who has obtained your work under a Creative Commons license from using the work according to that license. You can stop offering your work under a Creative Commons license at any time you wish, but this will not affect the rights associated with any copies of your work already in circulation under a Creative Commons license. So, you need to think carefully when choosing a Creative Commons license to make sure that you are happy with people being able to use your work consistent with the terms of the license, even if you later stop distributing your work. 

What About Using AI Content and Image Generators?

The following is presented with the recognition that Artificial Intelligence is an area that is evolving and legal precedent for AI-generated content and images has not yet been set.  

• The Federal Register states as of March 16, 2023, that textual, visual, or audio content generated by AI cannot be copyrighted and is also not in the public domain. In the context of OER creation, AI content generators should not be relied upon because only work with human authorship can be copyrighted or openly licensed. A Creative Commons or open license only applies to work defined as in the public domain or copyrightable by the author, neither of which include AI generated content. 

• It is not recommended that AI tools be used to fully generate content if the intent is to circumvent copyright in cases where openly licensed materials are not readily available.

• All work created by AI must be disclosed and credited to the AI regardless of human involvement in the prompts used to generate the content. A work containing AI-generated content must contain “some minimal degree of creativity” to sustain a copyright claim.