Learning Portal - OER Toolkit : About OER

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. Make and own copies of the work (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage)

• Reuse. Use the work in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)

• Revise. Adapt, modify and translate the work (e.g., translate the content into another language)

• Remix. Combine it with another resource to make a new work (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)

• Redistribute. Share the work with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)

These rights, or permissions, are made possible through open licensing. For example, Creative Commons open licences help creators of OER retain copyright while allowing others to reproduce, distribute, and make some uses of their work.

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

What's Not OER

Below are four key categories of resources that are often considered to fall outside the definition of what is truly OER. Of course, the best mix of materials to meet any given set of learning outcomes will vary, and may include a combination of OER and the materials listed below. The key is knowing which resources will best meet your objectives for instruction, and for learners.

Resources that Cannot be Adapted

Through open licensing, the mission of the OER movement is to encourage the full range of the “5 Rs” permissions of use (see prior tab). Some argue that unless an open licence allows for adaptations, then the resource is not truly OER.

The image below positions Creative Commons Licenses on a spectrum from more to less open. As depicted, resources that are licensed ND (No Derivatives), are in some cases considered not to be OER.

Attribution:

The Six Creative Commons Licences image is a derivative of an image in Keynote Slides (November 2014) , by Cable Green, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Web-Based Resources that are Fully Copyrighted

All the available resources on the web that you may have access to, but that are not in the public domain, or do not carry a Creative Commons licence or other open licence, are not OER.

Subscription-Based Library Collections

A library’s subscription-based resources (journals, videos, and other materials), while accessible to students and faculty, are also not OER. This is because their use in education may be limited by licence agreements.

Open vs. Free Resources

Attribution:

Image and text a derivative of Finding and Adopting OER, by Heather Blicher, licensed under CC BY 4.0

Open Access Resources

Open access is an important concept, which is related to – but distinct from – that of OER. Open access typically refers to research publications of some kind released under an open licence that allows for their free access and use (definition from Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources, 2015).

Open access publications sometimes do not allow for adaptation and remixing. While open access articles are freely accessible, authors may retain their copyright and/or assign rights to publishers or users, so permission may be needed for copying and adaptation.

More information about Open Access:

• Introduction to Open Access from the Canadian Association of Research Libraries

• Directory of Open Access Repositories, from OpenDOAR

Step 1: Find

• Start by looking for suitable resources that will contribute to your instructional objectives. Search dedicated OER repositories, including the eCampus Open Textbook Library.

• Consider your own materials that may be available offline, including lecture notes, handouts and other resources prepared previously. Be sure to check your college's intellectual property policies to see if a resource you’ve developed can be used and shared as OER with an open license.

See the Curating Module in this toolkit for additional support in finding OER, or contact the Learning Commons for help.

Step 2: Compose

• With your collection of resources at your disposal, start piecing them together to create a learning resource or set of resources to meet your instructional objectives and learning outcomes.

• This is a creative design process of building an educational resource from scratch and/or using components you have found.

• As you compose, use OER authoring tools to support your work, such as the Open Author Module Builder.

See the Creating Module in this toolkit for additional support in composing OER, or contact your college's Instructional Designers or Learning Technology Specialists for help.

Step 3: Use

• Through open licensing, OER open up possibilities for new, more collaborative teaching and learning practices--because the materials can be used, adapted and shared within and across learning communities.

• As you implement OER in your courses, take advantage of these possibilities. Pair up with a colleague on the implementation of OER, invite peer and student critique of the materials, or engage students as co-creators in OER-based assignments.

For additional information on OER practices such as these, see the Teaching Module in this toolkit.

Step 4: Share

• Make your resources available for your peers and the open education community to find, and to begin the life cycle again.

• Add descriptors so that others can find and use the resource, and select the appropriate license for any new/adapted resources.

• Access online tools that can help you describe and share your resources. Try OER Commons, LiveBinders, or LibGuides

For additional information on sharing OER, see the Curating Module in this toolkit.

Why OER Matters to Libraries

Benefits for Libraries:

• Support the library's effort to provide more relevant and engaging materials for students

• Enable the role of library staff as collaborators on instructional design through their expertise in finding quality materials and knowledge of open licensing affordances

• Expand the curatorial role of the library through enhanced opportunities for describing and organizing content

• Provide a mechanism to bridge the gap between historical library curation practices and the benefits of 21st century technologies