Dive into OER

Welcome to Dive into OER

Open Educational Resources (OER - a singular reference) is free and openly licensed educational material that can be used for teaching, learning, research, and other purposes. Open Educational Resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, videos, assessments, software, and many other materials used to support learning. OER can range from a small learning activity to a curricular unit, to a course textbook, to even a full course.  OER is appropriate for learning at any age. 

OER may be modified, adapted, or redistributed without permission from the copyright holder. The “open” license allows anyone to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute them - commonly referred to as the “5 R’s of OER.”  These permissions are granted through a Creative Commons (CC) license that is applied to the resource, instead of a traditional copyright license. 

OER benefits student learning and achievement by providing instructional materials that are up-to-date, relevant, and fit the unique needs of an educator’s diverse student population. Educators can save a significant amount of time finding and developing resources, as well as having the opportunity to collaborate with other educators across geographic, time and space boundaries. The use of OER also helps to promote shifts in instructional practice and curriculum planning, along with ensuring accessibility for student accommodations. Finally, OER is free so cost is not a barrier to accessing high-quality resources.