While we imagine that teachers and learners have long shared materials, the open education movement is relatively new. In practical terms, this means that though there is a growing body of resources to use and adapt, you won't find OER on every subject. In general, subjects for lower division classes with high enrollment are more likely to be covered. These include classes such as general education science classes, college composition, and other introductory classes. The more focused you get in a discipline, the less likely you will be able to find OER. However, because so many people are creating quality content, we recommend that you search for existing OER no matter your discipline. Someone may have created the perfect resource for your class or subject area; you simply need to spend some time looking through resources.
Also keep in mind that most OER are adaptable and modifiable. This means that you can pull bits and pieces, rearrange or rewrite, and create your own OER. Though this may take a bit more time and consideration, there are many resources to help with this process. (The specific license is relevant here, and we'll look at licenses specifically in the next module)
Reviewing a few search strategies before taking a closer look at specific collections will save you time. Below you will find useful research strategies practiced by those experienced in finding OER.
Forget Keywords, Browse by Discipline
By all means try a few keyword searches. If you're looking for an introductory biology text you can try searching for “introduction to biology.” However, because classes are not uniformly labeled and many repositories have user generated tags, keyword searching can be hit or miss.
Also consider what you can do with OER. You might end up curating or creating your own OER by using a mix of resources. You might find the perfect section for your biolog textbook from an anatomy text. Because you can adapt, rearrange, and modify, searching a bit broader is sometimes a better strategy. So, if a collection or repository offers a way to browse by subject or discipline start there. Then see if there are any useful ways to narrow down your search field. For example, you might be able to start with life sciences, narrow your field to biology, and then narrow even further by material type or education level. Some collections will be very simply arranged, just notice what tools are available and go from there.
How Can I Find OER?
Recommendations To Get You Started
It’s a good idea to start with some larger, user friendly, well organized repositories or collections. Here are a few we recommend:
Open Textbook LibraryLinks to an external site. - UMN's Open Textbook Library has a well curated collection with faculty reviews. Standards for inclusion are fairly rigorous making the collection a high quality resource.
Open OregonLinks to an external site. - With an extensive list of resources, Open Oregon offers information about the actual classes using the OER, including the institution, course name, links to materials, and instructor information.
Using Google Advanced Search is a great way to find resources by license type. On the Google Advanced Search page (find it by searching for Google Advanced Search or look under settings) look at the bottom of the search page for the "usage rights" field. Change this field to "free to use share or modify." Use the other fields to plug in key words or narrow your results. The results page should show only Creative Commons resources though you should verify the exact license type on your own.
Here Are a Few More Google Search Tips:
To find specific types of websites such as .gov or .edu type in the search box site:gov or site:edu.
To eliminate specific websites or words, you can use a minus symbol before the word. For example if you want to search for something but do not want Wikipedia to show up in the results simply type in the search box -Wikipedia.
You can also use Google Advanced search page for these commands.
Librarians Can Be Terrific Allies!
You may have the option to consult a librarian who can search for OER for you. Librarians can also recommend zero cost options such as e-books, databases, specialized collections, and more. Situations will vary based on your library and its resources. However keep in mind that librarians have the following skills:
Expert searchers
May be able to suggest repositories and collections that you can search on your own
Can teach skills and tools to conduct successful searches