Using OERs: Purpose and Evaluation

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are, by definition, freely available and easily accessible, and many online repositories provide access to ready-made OERs. However, as with anything free and online, there is a wide disparity in quality, and even if the resource found is up to standard, it may not fit precisely with your course content; this is why it is essential to know how to evaluate and repurpose OERs to make the best use of them.

Repurposing OERs

It may be necessary to combine more than one OER source or only use a portion of one, dependent on the course requirements. There are three options when using OERs: adopt, adapt, or create:

• Adopting an OER, it can be used as it is without altering or remixing;

• Adapting the OER to make it more suitable to meet a particular need; or

• Creating an OER from scratch.

It is also possible to supplement an OER with traditional resources, such as library books or other resources.

Evaluation Process

The following steps can assist you in evaluating an OER. Depending on specific circumstances, the following should be considered:

• Does this OER relate to the content the students need to learn in their course?

• Is the content of the chosen OER accurate and are the sources identified and cited?

• Is the OER of a reasonable quality?

  • Does it have a peer review?

  • Is its reputation transparent?

  • Are the learning methods sounds?

  • Is the licensing declaration (creative commons license, public domain, etc.) readily available?

• Are the learning outcomes listed in the OER, and is the student level appropriate?

• What licensing rules need to be followed when using the materials? 

• How accessible is the content? Would the material be accessible quickly to students, or could there be technical difficulties?