One of the great things about OER is that you can modify and remix existing resources to better suit your needs. This process is called adaptation or modification. You may also curate a new resource by combining multiple resources into a single new resource. You can then share your resources as a new OER.
Why Adapt an OER?
There are several reasons you may want to adapt or curate a resource. Perhaps existing OER do not have all the content you would like to include in your course. Or there may not be any cohesive OER for your course but there may be available materials you can pick and choose from to build the perfect resource for your class.
Below are further reasons that adaptation is a good option:
Save time and work by mixing OERs with your own material to make something richer
Make the material more accessible
Insert culturally specific references to make a concept easier to understand
Translate it into another language
Correct errors or inaccuracies
Keep the OER up to date by adding the latest discoveries or theories
Insert media or links to other resources
Adapt it for a different audience or educational level
Change the format of the OER
Things to Consider Before Adapting or Modifying
There are several factors to consider when adapting an OER. The more you want to change, expand, or edit an OER, the more time you will need. Below are some important considerations.
How much content do you wish to change? Do you want to remove chapters, or rewrite entire chapters of content?
What technical format is the original textbook in? A Word document is much easier to modify than a PDF document.
What type of license is the content released under? Does it have a Creative Commons license that allows for modification or adaptation of the content?
How comfortable are you with using technology and creating content?
Remember that students prefer format flexibility with their textbook. You may need to find additional conversion tools to convert your final textbook to a different format.
If you wish to edit or create graphics, images, charts, and/or multimedia content, you will need to use additional, specialized tools to create these.
Keep it simple. Think of the textbook as a living resource that you can improve incrementally over time.
Six Steps to Modifying an Open Textbook
Step 1: Check the license
First, check the license to make sure you have the permission to modify the contents. Most of the resources you find in the sources we point you to will carry the open license that is the most permissive: Creative Commons AttributionLinks to an external site. (aka CC BY). This means that you can use or re-use the material, so long as you give attribution to the creator. In the next unit we'll look more closely at licenses.
Step 2: The format of the textbook
If you wish to adapt an open textbook, you need to be able to have the textbook in a format that you can work with. This usually means the original source files used to create the textbook.
Common source formats for open textbooks that you should look for are:
HTML files (webpages)
Word or OpenOffice documents
Text files
ePub
LaTex files (if the original book includes math or science formulas and equations).
What tools you will use to create your version of the textbook depends on the format of the original work and what tools you'll use.
It's common that open textbooks may only be available as a PDF document. It's easy to redistribute PDF files but difficult to edit them. If you want to modify an open textbook that is only available in PDF format, you'll need to convert the PDF document to a different format or get a copy of the original source file.
Step 3: Tools for editing an open textbook
Once you have a source format that you can edit, you can then begin to modify the textbook. What tools you will use to do this will depend greatly on what editable format you are working with, and your comfort level with working with that format.
Step 4: Choosing a license
Once you have finished creating your own version of the textbook, you should decide on which Creative Commons license you will use to license your book. This will depend a great deal on how the original textbook was licensed. If the content was created with funding from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, the US Department of Education, or many of the major foundations that invest in education (Hewlett, Gates, Ford), then the content must be openly licensed in a specific way.
Students like flexibility when it comes to their textbooks. Some may prefer printed versions of the textbook, others will prefer using a website. Still others will like to use an e-reader or e-reading software. To make your book as accessible as possible, consider making your textbook available in multiple formats so students have the ability to choose the format that works for them. At the very least it is important that there is a free online version of the textbook and a version that can be printed for those who prefer it.
Step 6: How do my students get my textbook?
Once you have edited your version of the textbook, you'll need a place to put your textbook where your students can access it. This can be as simple as a web link or it may involve a bit more depending on your institution. Some colleges work with their print shop and college store to distribute hard copies.
Creation
You may also choose to create your own OER by writing your own material and giving it a open license. Creating new material takes time and commitment. Check with your institution to see if there are ways to get support for an OER project such as grants, stipends, credit towards tenure, a sabbatical, etc.
To create your own OER you'll need to follow some of the same steps as you would with adaptation or curation. Think of the time commitment creating an OER might take, the format you would like to use, and access for students.
Looking to collaborate at your institution or with other who share a common interest or goal? OER Commons has several options HubsLinks to an external site. and Groups. A Hub is a custom resource center on OER Commons where groups can create and share collections associated with a project or organization. Projects, institutions, states and initiatives make use of Hubs to bring groups of educators together to create, organize, and share collections that meet their common goals. Groups are created by members and are more subject based.
As the OER community grows more opportunities to collaborate are becoming available.
Optional
If you'd like to learn more about curating or creating OER with specific tools, check out the helpful videos from Suzanne Wakim, OER Coordintor at Butte College.
The OEI has created Canvas shells populated with open textbooks produced by OpenStax. Check out this video to learn more about how you can use these sample Canvas shells to adopt OER right away.