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UNF Open Educational Resources Initiative | OER
Open Educational Resources (OER) are any resources available at little or no cost that can be used for teaching, learning, or research. The term can include textbooks, course readings, and other learning content; simulations, games, and other learning applications; syllabi, quizzes, and assessment tools. OER can originate from colleges and universities, libraries, archival organizations, government agencies, commercial organizations.
Defining the "Open" in Open Content and Open Educational Resources:
The terms "open content" and "open educational resources" describe any copyrightable work (traditionally excluding software, which is described by other terms like "open source") that is licensed in a manner that provides users with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities:
Retain - the right to make, own, and control copies of the content (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage).
Reuse - the right to use the content in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video).
Revise - the right to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language).
Remix - the right to combine the original or revised content with other material to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup).
Redistribute - the right to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend).
This material was created by David Wiley and published freely under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license at http://opencontent.org/definition/.
Regarding Using Library Resources as Course Materials:
Utilizing library resources such as ebooks, journal articles, and videos as course materials presents a cost-saving advantage for students as they have already incurred access costs through their tuition and fees. However, it's important to note that while these resources are of high quality, they differ from open educational resources due to their restricted licensing and limited accessibility beyond the institution's student body. It can also be difficult to know if the library owns a resource or subscribes to it. Subscription resource access can change over time.
Furthermore, electronic purchasing options for libraries are generally unavailable from commercial textbook publishers, such as Cengage and Pearson.
To explore using library resources as course materials, faculty are encouraged to consult with their liaison librarian or their designated OER librarian.