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University of Iowa

University Libraries

Open Education Resources

This guide provides basic information on finding, remixing, and creating Open Educational Resources

What are OER?

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources that are free of cost and access barriers, and which also carry legal permission for open use. They can include things like open textbooks, audio and video material, test questions, simulations, labs, slides, and anything else you might use in the course of teaching. Open Educational Resources must either be in the public domain or licensed in a manner that provides users with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities described below.

 

5Rs: Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, Redistribute

 Graphic describing the four Rs of OER. Retain: Make, own, and control copies of the content (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage). Reuse: 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: Adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video). Remix: Combine the original or revised content with other materials to create something new (e.g. incorporate the content into a mash-up. Redistribute: Share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g. post a copy of the content online for others to download.)

Examples of using the Five Rs include...

  • Retain: Making, owning, and controlling copies of the content

  • Reuse: Fully using the content for any purpose (e.g., using the materials in a class or study group) 

  • Revise: Adapting, adjusting, modifying, or altering the content (e.g., translating the content into another language) 

  • Remix: Incorporating the content with other content or making a mashup with other material

  • Redistribute: Sharing original or altered version of the content (e.g., sending it to a friend)

Image credit: 5Rs by Ellen September, CC-BY 2.0

Get support from the Libraries

UI Libraries offers support for instructors interested in OER. Schedule a consultation with the Libraries' Scholarly Impact Department to: 

  • Review your current syllabus and find free-to-student textbook alternatives, such as openly licensed and library-licensed materials.
  • Find OER in your discipline that is ready to adopt.
  • Understand Creative Commons licenses and applying open licenses to your own work. 
  • Learn how to edit and remix OER so that it better fits your course and student learning objectives.
  • Find out about OER authorship and content delivery.
  • Apply for funding to support your work.
  • Connect with other OER practitioners in your field.

 

Click here to schedule a consultation!

 

Check out the Scholarly Impact Department's website to find out more about us and the services we provide.