Pfeiffer Library: Design Toolkit for Library Integrations: Open Educational Resources

Open Source and OERs

If you'd like a more detailed version of the content presented on this page, we recommend you also visit our "Open Resources" guide:

Open Resources
LibGuide with information for OER integration and creation.

Common OER Platforms

Utilizing institutional web space is one option that faculty can utilize. If a college or university permits individual faculty web pages to be linked to its main site, some faculty choose this method to showcase their OER materials.

To locate other OER resources, or to publish your own, you might want to consider some of the following FREE* platforms:

Creative Commons Search Portal
A list of all platforms with CC licensed content. NOTE: You may have to adjust the search parameters a second time when you enter these platforms - the filters do not "stick" upon click.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content. -- From web site
MERLOT II
Multimedia Education Resources for Learning & Online Teaching (MERLOT) is a curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services contributed and used by an international education community.
MIT OpenCourseWare
Multidisciplinary courseware.
OASIS
Searchable database of over 170,000 open materials.
OER by Discipline Directory
Open directory designed as a book with contents/chapters that includes links to OER resources in many disciplines.
OER Commons
Upload resources, build lessons, and/or create interactive modules.
Open Course Library
Freely available courses that can be downloaded and modified.
OpenStax
Peer-reviewed. Openly licensed. 100% free.
Open Textbook Library
Multidisciplinary textbooks supported by the Open Education Network.
Teaching Commons
OER from leading US colleges and universities.
WikiBooks
Create your own OER content in eBook form.

*FREE platforms may still require you to sign up for an account before viewing or creating material.

The following OER platforms have an associated charge:

Kindle Direct Publishing
Print on demand and digital publishing options, for a fee. This new platform is partly composed of Amazon CreateSpace.
Pressbooks
Print and eBook publishing options are available, for a fee. Account creation alone is free.
SoftChalk Cloud
OER repository which accompanies the desktop-based publishing platform SoftChalk. Users subscribe to the cloud for a fee, and can upload or search content.

The above lists represent a small selection of OER platforms. As interest in OER continues to grow, so will the availability of more options, features, and pricing models.

The Library and OER

Consortium Initiatives

There are also numerous Affordable Learning Initiatives in the work through our OhioLINK Consortium. Read more about those at the following link:

OhioLINK Affordable Learning Initiatives
OhioLINK Affordable Learning Initiatives include free and licensed initiatives and discussions throughout the statewide consortium. This page also provides links to additional OER materials.
OhioLINK OER Commons
A selection of OER located and/or published by Ohio faculty for Ohio faculty. Also includes options for faculty to upload their CC-licensed content.

Libraries as OER hubs:

New York Public Library Digital Collections
Use the public domain filter to locate materials that are ready for download, use, and modification.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
A selection of collections, including those in the public domain. Be sure to read the fine print on acceptable use of these materials.