Open Educational Resources

"Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials that are either (a) in the public domain or (b) licensed in a manner that provides everyone with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities." Creative Commons

OER can be: full courses, learning objects, tests or any other tools, materials, or techniques for use in teaching, learning, and research. Example images: course materials, open textbooks, videos, lesson plans, software, and games. The 5 R Permissions of OER

The "5 Rs" is a framework that encourages educators to capitalize on the unique rights associated with open content. These rights include the ability to:

✓ 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).

The 5Rs are a useful way to appreciate the value of OER. These permissions help you, the user of openly licensed content, understand what you are allowed to do with the work. These permissions are granted in advance and are legally established through Public Domain or Creative Commons license.


*Please refer to the Fanshawe OER Design Studio Prep Course to learn more. 

 

Attributions

Attribution: OER Can Be and the associated images are a derivative of the BCOER Poster, by BCcampus, licensed under CC BY 4.0

Attribution: The 5 Rs of OER is a derivative of the 5 R Permissions of OER by Lumen Learning, licensed under CC BY 4.0

Benefits for Faculty:

Increases student retention by reducing costs
Assures academic freedom to modify or add content to your specifications
Extends your academic profile
Provides more relevant and engaging materials for your students

 

Benefits for Students:

Low cost or free
Easy to find and access – even before classes start
More customized and relevant

 

Attributions

“Benefits for faculty and students” is a modified derivative of the poster “BCOER” by BCcampus, licensed under CC BY 4.0