- Searching for these materials takes time and persistence, just like research!
2. Take a look to see if someone else has created a similar, complete OER textbook or course
- See the "OER Collections" and "Open Courseware" sections in the Find tab.
- Example: Go to the Open Textbook Library and browse their texts by subject.
3. Get cozy with your student learning outcomes
- Instead of focusing on the textbook that you would like to replace, focus on what you would like students to know or be able to do as specified by the course's student learning outcomes (SLOs). You will likely need to search for several materials to address different topics or components of your complete course.
- Example: Instead of searching for “biology” materials, search for “cell structure” or “DNA” or “evolution” materials.
- Tip: Use a curriculum or course map template to track and align course outcome activities, and teaching resources.
4. Use Google Advanced Search to search for OER.
5. Search for OER by subject or by type.
- See the Find tab for a list.
6. Give credit through attribution.
7. Work with a librarian to locate no-cost materials or to fill in gaps.
8. Consider creating and sharing your own OER.
This guide is adapted from OER: Open Educational Resources by the University of Pittsburgh
and Open Educational Resources (OER) by Broward College under a CC By license
