Assessing OER
Like any materials, OER vary in scope, format, content, and quality. The tools below can help you determine which resources best meet your needs.
- OER Evaluation CriteriaThis one-page document from Affordable Learning Georgia offers topics to consider and questions to ask when determining the suitability of an open resource for a course.
- Open Textbooks Review CriteriaThe Open Textbook Library provides a list of factors to consider when reviewing an open textbook.
Where to find open educational resources
- Open Textbook LibraryA collection maintained by the Open Education Network of over 1300 open access textbooks, with reviews by professors.
- OER CommonsA public digital library containing tens of thousands of open educational resources of all types.
- MERLOTA search tool and curated collections of open educational resources developed by California State University.
- The Mason OER MetafinderA search tool for open educational resources created by George Mason University.
Affordable Course Content Librarian
Indexes and Repositories of Free Educational Materials
- WAC ClearinghouseSupported by Colorado State University, the WAC Clearinghouse enables "scholarly exchange about communication across the disciplines."
- SkillsCommonThis repository holds free and open learning materials for "job-driven workforce development." The materials were developed by community colleges across the US.
- Wisc-OnlineMaintained by Fox Valley Technical College, this portal provides access to learning objects in the fields of health, science, mathematics, technology, and general education.
- OpenLearn SubjectsPowered by The Open University, this site divides thousands of free online learning resources into eight broad categories.
- Open Learning Initiative Independent Learner CoursesThe Open Learning Initiative provides free learning materials about languages and STEM subjects.
- Teaching CommonsMaintained by Berkeley Electronic Press, this resource aggregates free textbooks and educational materials made available by higher education institutions.
- The Orange GroveAs Florida's repository of open educational resources, it holds openly licensed materials for higher education, vocational education, and continuing education.
- PLOS CollectionsThe Public Library of Science (PLOS) has curated collections of peer-reviewed journal articles on a variety of topics for research and educational purposes.
- CORECORE is a free service that facilitates searches for and access to millions of open access research papers.
- BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine)Operated by Bielefeld University Library in Germany, BASE indexes academic resources that are freely accessible online.
- PaperityThis is a multidisciplinary index of open access journal articles that can be reused for research and educational purposes.