Reusing and Redistributing OER to Students
In previous chapters, we already covered how to revise, remix, create and publish new OERs. After taking these steps, it is time to reuse and redistribute the OER with the students.
Video from The Council of Chief State School Officers, licensed under CC by 4.0
But! Before sharing, please remember to review these three things:
Evaluate the resource. In a previous chapter, Evaluating OER, we cover how to evaluate OER as part of the process of finding and selecting an OER that best fits your class’s needs. It is also essential for you and your peers to evaluate again if you made any change in an existing OER or if you created a new one. These open resources from Achieve are excellent guides for the process of evaluating an OER: the Rubrics for Evaluating OER Objects (PDF) and the OER Rubrics Training Materials.
Attribute the OER. If the resource is not entirely yours, give attribution to the (partial) creator. This is a Creative Commons license requirement, and is often required in other types of open licenses as well. Besides, it is a good practice, as it recognizes the labor of the creators and helps readers to look out for the original source by themselves. Creative Commons has an article with information and tools to attribute a Creative Commons licensed work.
Check if you may need curriculum approval to include the OER as an instructional material choice.
The text was adapted from the Open Educational Resources by Ariana Santiago of the University of Houston Libraries.
Share the OER with your students
Depending on the resource format, there are several ways to share an OER. (You can find information about file formats in our Revising and Remixing OER chapter). You can print the resources or share them digitally. Keep in mind that printing services usually have a fee.
When they are shared digitally, they can be equipped with more engaging materials. For example, sections of a theoretical or creative text can be linked to relevant tutorials, interviews or conferences, or descriptive videos about related topics. You can share images, maps, or live events, which can be used either as homework or as part of the activities of the class.
Also remember that NYU provides access to Manifold, an open-source publishing platform that supports rich media and iterative texts, among other platforms to publish your OERs.
The OER can be shared directly with the students, creating a link to the textbook in a course site, embedding textbook sections directly in course modules, or providing files ready to print and bind for students who prefer to read print materials. You can inform the students that the class will be taught with OER resources, as it can be an incentive for them to work with free or low- cost materials. This can be shared in the course description in Albert, so students know about it before they register for classes, in the syllabus, or by word of mouth.
Make the most of the digital resources that you have in hand. Every student can transform their phone, tablet, or laptop into an interactive and fertile textbook.
Image "Share" by Husein Aziz, SE from the Noun Project, licensed under CC by 4.0
Redistribute the OERs
Even if you've created something that you don't intend to use with your own students, please consider that there are thousands of students and instructors outside of our institution who can use your knowledge and your open resources.
As we mentioned in the last chapter, Creating and Publishing OER, simply publishing is not enough to make a material discoverable. There are several platforms that can help you make your OERs easier to find. Besides, sometimes it is possible to get a huge audience by sharing the information in OER Digital Communities, like listservs.
Here is a list of repositories and digital communities you may like to share your OER with:
OER Discovery Platforms
- OER Commons offers an easy platform to upload or make discoverable your OERs. Their text editor has robust features. For example, you can drop-and-drag images, videos or any other media, you can import your material from Google Drive or OneDrive, and you can share your textbook accessible so it can be used by people with disabilities. If you host your OER in a separate repository and want to enhance its discoverability, you can also use OER Commons to do it. To do that, add key metadata (title, author, description) and a permanent URL to your OER.
- Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) is a program of the California State University Long Beach where you can add or make discoverable open textbooks. As it was one of the earliest large-scale OER discovery tools, many people go there to look out for OERs. They also provide a variety of training and professional development services in both the use of the platform and in teaching and learning with OERs.
- The Open Textbook Library provides a simple and user-friendly way to upload an OER if certain criteria are met. It is possible to edit and distribute them at no cost.
Digital communities
- Holyoke Community College shares a handy list of “OER Listservs,” through which you can subscribe to connect with OER communities, stay up-to-date on news and trends, or get support and ideas on your OER campus initiatives.
- Rebus helps you connect to global OER communities. If you want to create an open textbook, you can schedule a consultation with their specialists and join their courses. Otherwise, you can participate in their Office Hours, follow their Webinars and online events, or receive newsletters .
Go to: What is an Open Educational Resource (OER)?; OER and its Benefits; Finding OER; Evaluating OER; Revising and Remixing OER, or Creating and Publishing OER