Open Educational Resources (OER)
Open Educational Resources (OER) refer to any type of educational material, such as textbooks, lesson plans, videos, quizzes, and more, that are made freely available to the public for educational use. These resources are typically created, developed, and shared by educators, institutions, or organizations with the goal of improving access to quality education and promoting learning.
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Key characteristics of Open Educational Resources include:
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Free Access: OER are accessible to anyone without requiring payment. This accessibility helps reduce financial barriers to education.
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Permission to Modify: OER are often licensed under open licenses (such as Creative Commons licenses) that allow users to modify, adapt, and customize the materials to suit specific educational needs. This promotes flexibility and customization.
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Permission to Share: Users can share OER with others, helping to foster a collaborative and sharing culture within the educational community.
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Digital Format: OER are typically available in digital formats, making them easily accessible and distributable over the internet.
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Wide Range of Content: OER encompass various types of educational content, including textbooks, lectures, assignments, simulations, interactive modules, and more.
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Pedagogical Freedom: Educators can use OER to design and deliver their courses in ways that align with their teaching philosophies and the needs of their students.
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The concept of OER has gained significant momentum in the education sector as a means to address issues related to the high cost of traditional educational resources, limited access to quality materials, and the need for more inclusive and equitable educational opportunities. By sharing and utilizing OER, educators and learners can collaborate, innovate, and improve the quality of education on a global scale.
Available OER
Review some of the OER and Creative Common materials available for education.
Many photographers share their work under Creative Commons licenses, which often allow for educational use.
Offers a vast collection of instructional videos and practice exercises covering various subjects.
A curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services.
Provides free lecture notes, videos, and other resources from a wide range of MIT courses.
Provides free online courses and resources across a range of subjects.
Collaboratively developed textbooks and educational resources in a variety of disciplines.
Offers free peer-reviewed textbooks for college and high school courses.
OER Commons provides a library of Open Educational Resources for free. You can search by subject area or material type.
Offers a large collection of high-quality, free-to-use photos.
This is the official website of Creative Commons, a nonprofit organization that provides free, open licenses for creative works.
A nonprofit open-access scientific publishing project. PLOS publishes a suite of peer-reviewed, open-access journals covering a wide range of scientific disciplines, including biology, medicine, genetics, ecology, and more.
An open repository of educational resources and materials related to workforce development and technical education.
Jamendo is a music platform that offers a collection of music tracks that are available for free streaming and downloading.
Provides access to a wide range of multimedia resources, including videos.
Offers educational videos and lessons on various subjects.
Offers a variety of educational videos and resources for teachers and students.
Provides access to a wealth of historical and cultural videos.
OpenLearn provides free online courses, resources, and educational materials across a wide range of subjects.
Provides a wide variety of free images and videos.
Offers free stock photos and videos under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.
Many photographers share their work under Creative Commons licenses, which often allow for educational use.
Some content creators license their videos under Creative Commons licenses, allowing for reuse.
Offers a vast collection of images, videos, and audio files related to space and science.
Provides free clipart images that can be used in various educational projects.
A repository of freely usable media files, including images and videos.