1. OER Commons
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that you may freely use and reuse, without charge. That means they have been authored or created by an individual or organization that chooses to retain few, if any, ownership rights. For some of these resources, that means you can download the resource and share it with colleagues and students. For others, it may be that you can download a resource, edit it in some way, and then re-post it as a remixed work. OER often have a Creative Commons or GNU license that state specifically how the material may be used, reused, adapted, and shared.
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that you may freely use and reuse, without charge. That means they have been authored or created by an individual or organization that chooses to retain few, if any, ownership rights. For some of these resources, that means you can download the resource and share it with colleagues and students. For others, it may be that you can download a resource, edit it in some way, and then re-post it as a remixed work. OER often have a Creative Commons or GNU license that state specifically how the material may be used, reused, adapted, and shared.
2. Open Tapestry
This site features higher education courses, but advanced high school students may find the information engaging and useful. Open Tapestry is all about discovering, adapting, and sharing learning resources, whether you’re a teacher, an instructor, a professor, a corporate trainer, a learner, or just a curious mind! We help you organize your content into categories–or Tapestries–that you create. Open Tapestry’s toolset allows instructors to develop course materials in a fraction of the time, while invigorating and enhancing learners’ experience. We give you the tools to mold and shape content already on the web to exactly how you want it.
This site features higher education courses, but advanced high school students may find the information engaging and useful. Open Tapestry is all about discovering, adapting, and sharing learning resources, whether you’re a teacher, an instructor, a professor, a corporate trainer, a learner, or just a curious mind! We help you organize your content into categories–or Tapestries–that you create. Open Tapestry’s toolset allows instructors to develop course materials in a fraction of the time, while invigorating and enhancing learners’ experience. We give you the tools to mold and shape content already on the web to exactly how you want it.
3. Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. Creative Commons is a globally-focused nonprofit organization dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright. Creative Commons provides free licenses and other legal tools to give everyone from individual creators to large companies and institutions a simple, standardized way to grant copyright permissions and get credit for their creative work while allowing others to copy, distribute, and make specific uses of it.
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. Creative Commons is a globally-focused nonprofit organization dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright. Creative Commons provides free licenses and other legal tools to give everyone from individual creators to large companies and institutions a simple, standardized way to grant copyright permissions and get credit for their creative work while allowing others to copy, distribute, and make specific uses of it.
4. EDSITEment
EDSITEment is a partnership among the National Endowment for the Humanities, Verizon Foundation, and the National Trust for the Humanities. EDSITEment offers a treasure trove for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality material on the Internet in the subject areas of literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, and history and social studies. All websites linked to EDSITEment have been reviewed for content, design, and educational impact in the classroom. They cover a wide range of humanities subjects, from American history to literature, world history and culture, language, art, and archaeology, and have been judged by humanities specialists to be of high intellectual quality.
EDSITEment is a partnership among the National Endowment for the Humanities, Verizon Foundation, and the National Trust for the Humanities. EDSITEment offers a treasure trove for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality material on the Internet in the subject areas of literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, and history and social studies. All websites linked to EDSITEment have been reviewed for content, design, and educational impact in the classroom. They cover a wide range of humanities subjects, from American history to literature, world history and culture, language, art, and archaeology, and have been judged by humanities specialists to be of high intellectual quality.
5. OpenEd
OpenEd is a K-12 educational resource catalog, with over a million Language Arts and Math games, video lessons, assessments, and courses. While it integrates with all popular Learning Management Systems it offers its own simple “flipped classroom” LMS oriented to using resources.
OpenEd is a K-12 educational resource catalog, with over a million Language Arts and Math games, video lessons, assessments, and courses. While it integrates with all popular Learning Management Systems it offers its own simple “flipped classroom” LMS oriented to using resources.
6. Utah Education Network
UEN connects all Utah school districts, schools, and higher education institutions to a robust network and quality educational resources. UEN is one of the nation’s premier education networks.
UEN connects all Utah school districts, schools, and higher education institutions to a robust network and quality educational resources. UEN is one of the nation’s premier education networks.
7. Washington Department of Public Instruction OER
In April 2012, the Washington State Legislature passed bill HB2337 (RCW 28A.300.803), directing the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to create a collection of openly licensed courseware aligned to the common-core standards and an associated awareness campaign to inform school districts about these resources.
In April 2012, the Washington State Legislature passed bill HB2337 (RCW 28A.300.803), directing the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to create a collection of openly licensed courseware aligned to the common-core standards and an associated awareness campaign to inform school districts about these resources.
8. WatchKnowLearn.org
WatchKnowLearn has indexed approximately 50,000 educational videos, placing them into a directory of over 5,000 categories. The videos are available without any registration or fees to teachers in the classroom, as well as parents and students at home 24/7. Users can dive into our innovative directory or search for videos by subject and age level. Video titles, descriptions, age level information, and ratings are all edited for usefulness. Our web site invites broad participation in a new kind of wiki system, guided by teachers. WatchKnowLearn does not itself host videos—we serve as a library for links to excellent educational videos that have been selected by educators.
WatchKnowLearn has indexed approximately 50,000 educational videos, placing them into a directory of over 5,000 categories. The videos are available without any registration or fees to teachers in the classroom, as well as parents and students at home 24/7. Users can dive into our innovative directory or search for videos by subject and age level. Video titles, descriptions, age level information, and ratings are all edited for usefulness. Our web site invites broad participation in a new kind of wiki system, guided by teachers. WatchKnowLearn does not itself host videos—we serve as a library for links to excellent educational videos that have been selected by educators.
9. Net Texts
The Net Texts system is a free, web-based solution that provides teachers access to a vast library of innovative, curated collections of high quality content, which they can then manage and combine with their own resources to create, publish and deliver lessons directly to students’ iPads, Android tablets, or computers. More than just a content management system, Net Texts is a powerful teaching and learning tool that helps schools maximize their investments in tablets and 1:1 computing initiatives, while improving instruction and learning outcomes with up-to-date educational resources. Courses contain teacher-created material as well as Creative Commons-licensed and other open education resources from the web.
The Net Texts system is a free, web-based solution that provides teachers access to a vast library of innovative, curated collections of high quality content, which they can then manage and combine with their own resources to create, publish and deliver lessons directly to students’ iPads, Android tablets, or computers. More than just a content management system, Net Texts is a powerful teaching and learning tool that helps schools maximize their investments in tablets and 1:1 computing initiatives, while improving instruction and learning outcomes with up-to-date educational resources. Courses contain teacher-created material as well as Creative Commons-licensed and other open education resources from the web.
10. Achieve OER Evaluation Tool
To help states, districts, teachers and other users determine the degree of alignment of OER to the Common Core State Standards, and to determine aspects of quality of OER, Achieve developed rubrics in collaboration with leaders from the OER community. ISKME subsequently developed an online OER Evaluation Tool, based on the Achieve OER Rubrics. The rubrics evaluate OER: Degree of Alignment to Standards, Quality of Explanation of Content, Utility of Materials as Tools to Teach Others, Quality of Assessment, Degree of Interactivity, Quality of Practice Exercises, and Opportunities for Deeper Learning.
To help states, districts, teachers and other users determine the degree of alignment of OER to the Common Core State Standards, and to determine aspects of quality of OER, Achieve developed rubrics in collaboration with leaders from the OER community. ISKME subsequently developed an online OER Evaluation Tool, based on the Achieve OER Rubrics. The rubrics evaluate OER: Degree of Alignment to Standards, Quality of Explanation of Content, Utility of Materials as Tools to Teach Others, Quality of Assessment, Degree of Interactivity, Quality of Practice Exercises, and Opportunities for Deeper Learning.
11. Gooru
Gooru is a free search engine for learning, has organized OER into easy-to-locate categories and collections to help teachers and students make the most of what’s offered online. Users can search for resources, collections, or quizzes; study individual resources or entire collections; practice with an adaptive assessment system; interact with peers or teachers; and save and customize their favorite learning materials.
Gooru is a free search engine for learning, has organized OER into easy-to-locate categories and collections to help teachers and students make the most of what’s offered online. Users can search for resources, collections, or quizzes; study individual resources or entire collections; practice with an adaptive assessment system; interact with peers or teachers; and save and customize their favorite learning materials.
12. SchoolForge.net
SchoolForge’s mission is to unify independent organizations that advocate, use, and develop open educational resources. We advocate the use of open texts and lessons, open curricula, free software and open source in education.
SchoolForge’s mission is to unify independent organizations that advocate, use, and develop open educational resources. We advocate the use of open texts and lessons, open curricula, free software and open source in education.
13. OpenClass
An expansion of Pearson’s online learning environment OpenClass, Exchange allows educators to search for and access thousands of resources, including videos from TED-Ed, Kahn Academy, and YouTube EDU, as well as courses from the Open Course Library. The resource is available to all users free of charge.
An expansion of Pearson’s online learning environment OpenClass, Exchange allows educators to search for and access thousands of resources, including videos from TED-Ed, Kahn Academy, and YouTube EDU, as well as courses from the Open Course Library. The resource is available to all users free of charge.
14. Curriculum Foundry
Curriculum Foundry from Learning.com provides a searchable content repository that includes vetted OER tools, as well as a district’s existing digital content. Through this solution’s comprehensive set of tools, districts can build and share their own curriculum. Curriculum Foundry also features single sign-on enabling students and teachers to easily use digital content.
Curriculum Foundry from Learning.com provides a searchable content repository that includes vetted OER tools, as well as a district’s existing digital content. Through this solution’s comprehensive set of tools, districts can build and share their own curriculum. Curriculum Foundry also features single sign-on enabling students and teachers to easily use digital content.
15. Guide to the Use of Open Educational Resources in K-12 and Postsecondary Education from SIIA
This guide provides a framework for understanding open educational resources (OER), and it examines development and implementation costs, current business models, government and philanthropy’s role, and other considerations around the use of OER.
This guide provides a framework for understanding open educational resources (OER), and it examines development and implementation costs, current business models, government and philanthropy’s role, and other considerations around the use of OER.
1. AMSER
What: The Applied Math and Science Education Repository (AMSER) is a portal of OER built specifically for those in community and technology colleges, but is free for anyone to use.
About: The National Science Digital Library (NSDL)—the parent of AMSER—is an online library which directs users to high-quality STEM resources. NSDL was created by the National Science Foundation in 2000 to provide organized access to resources and tools that support innovations in teaching and learning at all levels of STEM education. NSDL aggregates content from a variety of digital libraries and projects, including Internet Scout and AMSER. NSDL also provides access to services and tools that enhance the use of online resources in a variety of contexts.
How it works: https://amser.org/index.php?P=AMSER–About
What: An OER for building your own online curriculum. Download one of its sample courses and you get a set of web templates you can load onto your own server and use as the basis for an online course.
About: From the University of Central Florida (UCF), the Toolkit is a free, open repository of information, resources, models, and research related to blended learning. Funded by a Next Generation Learning Challenge Wave 1 grant, the Toolkit is a collaboration between UCF and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
How it works: http://blended.online.ucf.edu/about/
3. COERLL
What: The Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) at the University of Texas at Austin focuses on foreign language learning, and provides materials for the study of Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese and Hindi, as well as videos for the study of Spanish and bilingual Spanish-English conversations.
About: Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, COERLL’s mission is to produce and disseminate OERs for the internet public (e.g., online language courses, reference grammars, assessment tools, corpora, etc.). COERLL aims to reframe foreign language education in terms of bilingualism and/or multilingualism. As such, all COERLL resources strive to represent more accurately language development and performance along dialectal and proficiency continua.
How it works: http://coerll.utexas.edu/coerll/about
4. MERLOT
What: Begun by a consortium of state higher education systems, this massive OER repository offers learning objects, full course curricula, open access journals, assessment tools, open textbooks, discipline-specific pedagogical resources, and more.
About: Material is peer reviewed, and reviewer and user comments are accessible to all. Academic discipline is represented by communities, each with their own editorial board of faculty from disparate institutions. Browsing through users’ “personal collections” can provide insight into how others use the materials.
5. MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW)
What: MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.
About: Pioneering the OER movement, MIT OCW offers thousands of full courses that can include lecture notes, online textbook material, assignments and exams with answers, and multimedia. The course content is downloadable through iTunes and YouTube. Like any open educational resource, these materials are freely available for educators to re-use with attribution.
How it works: http://ocw.mit.edu/help/get-started-with-ocw/
6. OER Commons
What: Full university courses, complete with readings, videos of lectures, homework assignments, and lecture notes; interactive mini-lessons and simulations about a specific topic, such as math or physics; adaptations of existing open work; and electronic textbooks that are peer-reviewed and frequently updated.
About: ISKME created OER Commons, publicly launched in February 2007, to support and build a knowledge base around the use and reuse of open educational resources (OER). As a network for teaching and learning materials, the site offers engagement with resources for curriculum alignment, quality evaluation, social bookmarking, tagging, rating, and reviewing.
OER Commons has forged alliances with over 500 major content partners and users can search across over 42,000 vetted and fully-indexed OER. Since these resources are ‘open,’ they are available for educational use, and many hold Creative Commons licenses that allow them to be repurposed, modified and adapted for a diverse array of local contexts.
How it works: https://www.oercommons.org/information
7. Open Course Library (OCL)
What: A collection of high quality, free-to-use courses that you can download and use for teaching. All content is stored in Google docs for easy access and downloading.
About: OCL is a collection of shareable course materials, including syllabi, course activities, readings, and assessments designed by teams of college faculty, instructional designers, librarians, and other experts. Some OER are paired with low cost textbooks ($30 or less), but many of the courses can be taught at no cost. Unless otherwise noted, all materials are shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY) license. OCL courses and materials have also undergone testing for accessibility and have been designed using the industry-standard Quality Matters (QM) rubric for assessing the quality of online courses.
How it works: http://opencourselibrary.org/about/
8. OpenStax CNX
What: View and share free educational material in small modules that can be organized as courses, books, reports or other academic assignments.
About: Frustrated by the limitations of traditional textbooks and courses, Dr. Richard Baraniuk founded OpenStax (then Connexions) in 1999 at Rice University to provide authors and learners with an open space where they can share and freely adapt educational materials such as courses, books, and reports. Today, OpenStax CNX is a non-profit digital ecosystem serving millions of users per month. There are thousands of learning objects, called pages, that are organized into textbook-style books in a host of disciplines, all easily accessible online and downloadable to almost any device, anywhere, anytime. Everything is available for free thanks to support from Rice University and philanthropic organizations.
How it works: http://cnx.org/about-us
What: Free online courses and multimedia available to both students and faculty.
About: In 2008, Saylor Academy began exploring OER to develop its catalog of over 300 free, self-paced, online courses. In late 2012, it added the first college credit pathway courses. The Academy hired credentialed educators to design courses and to locate, vet, and organize OER and other materials into a structured and intuitive format. Many courses have additionally undergone a peer review process by panels of consultants. While the Academy does not confer degrees, it offers verifiable certificates and continues to make strides in connecting our courses to college credit.
How it works: http://www.saylor.org/frequently-asked-questions/
What: Not just a repository of courseware, the Consortium offers its members the tools and resources to develop their own content.
About: The Open Education Consortium is a worldwide community of hundreds of higher education institutions and associated organizations committed to advancing open education globally. The Open Education Consortium realizes change by leveraging its sources of expert opinion, its global network and its position as the principal voice of open education.
How it works: http://www.oeconsortium.org/resources/toolkits/
Additional resources: The resources, though not specifically repositories, can help you navigate how to access OER, understand the value of OER, connect you to OER communities, present the latest OER news and much more: