Open Educational Resources (OER)

Supporting Faculty Innovation and Student Access Through Open Educational Resources 

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) supports faculty interested in exploring and implementing Open Educational Resources (OER) as part of their teaching practice. OER can help reduce financial barriers for students while also providing faculty with greater flexibility, creativity, and academic freedom in course design and instruction. 

CETL works with faculty across disciplines to increase awareness of OER, assist with locating discipline-specific resources, and support instructors interested in transitioning their courses to low-cost or no-cost learning materials.  

What Are Open Educational Resources? 

Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research materials that are freely available for use and adaptation. OER may include textbooks, course modules, videos, activities, assessments, simulations, and other educational content. 

Unlike traditional copyrighted materials, many OER are openly licensed, allowing faculty to customize resources to better align with course objectives, student needs, and teaching style.  

Faculty may choose to: 

• Adopt an existing OER resource 

• Adapt or modify OER materials for their courses 

• Combine multiple OER resources into customized content 

• Create and share their own original open educational materials 

OER can support teaching innovation, increase access to learning materials, and promote student-centered learning experiences across disciplines.

Understanding the “5Rs” of OER 

Open Educational Resources are often associated with the “5Rs,” which describe how materials can be used: 

• Retain – Keep and control copies of the content 

• Reuse – Use the material in courses, presentations, or other educational settings 

• Revise – Modify or adapt the content 

• Remix – Combine content with other resources to create something new 

• Redistribute – Share copies of the original or adapted materials with others 

These permissions provide faculty with enhanced flexibility in designing meaningful and engaging learning experiences for students. Interested in editing or combining multiple open resources? We partner with OER editing platforms, such as LibreText, to allow for low-cost or free customization. Reach out to CETL to get more information.  

CETL Support for OER 

CETL provides a variety of support services for faculty and academic departments interested in OER adoption and implementation, including: 

• Individual, small-group, or department consultations 

• Assistance locating OER materials by discipline 

• Guidance on OER selection, alignment, adaptation, and implementation 

• Collaboration with Magale Library to identify affordable or library-supported resources 

• Professional development opportunities related to open and affordable learning practices 

Whether faculty are simply exploring options or actively redesigning a course, CETL is available to assist throughout the process. 

Explore OER Resources