Getting Started with OER

Developed by Laurie Hurson

This workshop will provide an introduction to open digital pedagogy by focusing on a core tenet of open teaching: the use of open educational resources, or OER. New York State has invested significantly in the development and deployment of OER at CUNY and SUNY over the past three years, and there are active and engaged OER programs on each CUNY campus. These initiatives are even more important during the current public health crisis, when access to libraries is severely constrained and the resources to acquire textbooks are ever more scarce. All instructors should be aware of the possibilities to integrate OER into their courses.

In this workshop participants will work at their own pace watching videos, reading documentation and reflections, and searching to identify OER they might use in their course. The workshop will use a Slack channel for asynchronous discussion and feedback.

Learning Goals

  • Understand rationale behind OER and related open pedagogies
  • Demonstrate ability to locate OER online
  • Understand CC licensing
  • Identify OERs to use in course

Introduction

This workshop will provide an introduction to open digital pedagogy by focusing on a core tenet of open teaching: the use of open educational resources, or OER. New York State has invested significantly in the development and deployment of OER at CUNY and SUNY over the past three years, and there are active and engaged OER programs on each CUNY campus. These initiatives are even more important during the current public health crisis, when access to libraries is severely constrained and the resources to acquire textbooks are ever more scarce. All instructors should be aware of the possibilities to integrate OER into their courses.

In this workshop participants will work at their own pace watching videos, reading documentation and reflections, and searching to identify OER they might use in their course. The workshop will use a Slack channel for asynchronous discussion and feedback.

If you are part of the institute, please join our “OER Workshop” Slack channel to ask questions and share resources. If you have not participated in the Teach@CUNY Online Summer Institute but would like to participate in the slack channel, please email Laurie Hurson to join lhurson(at)gc.cuny.edu.

Workshop Materials

Work through these materials at your own pace. Readings and videos were selected to give you various perspectives and entry points to learn more about OER.  It is not necessary to read through everything, and you can transition between the materials and the activities in whatever way works best for you.

What is OER?

READ: Defining the “Open” in Open Content and Open Educational Resources (Open Content, David Wiley)

WATCH: Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Courses at CUNY

BROWSE: An Overview of Open Educational Resources at CUNY

Open Educational Resources Webinar recording (pair with Slides above)

The “Open Educational Resources at CUNY” Slides and Webinar above were shared with us by the creators, Shawna Brandle and Stacy Katz. OER in practice! Thank you!

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Introduction to Open Digital Pedagogy

READ: Open Digital Pedagogy = Critical Pedagogy?  (Rosen and Smale, Hybrid Pedagogy)

If you’d like to learn more, go to the Introduction to Open Digital Pedagogy workshop.

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Copyright, Creative Commons and Open Licensing

READ: The 5 “R”s of OER (NSU Florida)

VISIT: Creative Commons Website

WATCH: Wanna Work Together an introduction to Creative Commons

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Further Reading

OER

Copyright, Creative Commons, Licensing

Activities

Activity [1]  Post questions and/or reflections  OER, copyright, and the Creative Commons in the “OER Workshop” Slack channel. This is optional, if you do not need guidance or have questions, go ahead and begin exploring.

Activity [2]  Explore these websites for OER to use in your course. Many of these websites require some poking (clicking) around to find what you need. If you are having trouble, feel free to post in our thread to ask for guidance. And remember, you should not have to pay for a subscription or course space on these sites. They offer free materials you can link to, download, or remix for use in your own course.

OER Outlets:

Activity [3]  Post in the “OER Workshop” Slack channel:

    • To share links to the OER materials you found and rationale for use in your course or,
    • To ask questions about OER websites and locating OER or,
    • To share insights, successes, and challenges locating and identifying OER or,
    • To get feedback on using an OER or an assignment you developed based on one or several OER materials.

 

Takeaways

    • Understanding of OER and Creative Commons
    • Identification of open materials to use in your course

If you’d like to learn more about open digital pedagogy, go to the Introduction to Open Digital Pedagogy workshop.

If you would like to join the Commons and explore further, go to the Getting Started on the CUNY Academic Commons workshop.