Open Educational Resources (OER)

Follow the steps below to locate relevant Open Educational Resources for your courses in the search engines and repositories listed at the bottom of the page: 

1. Be Prepared to Invest Your Time: There is a growing number of OER in a variety of search engines and repositories and you will need to evaluate materials that will best meet your needs.
2. Consider What You Want: Rather than approaching your search intending to replace an existing textbook, focus on the learning outcomes you want for your students when finding and evaluating materials. 
3. Browse to Relevant Subject Collections: Many OER repositories offer a breakdown of materials by subject area. Eliminate unnecessary subjects by limiting your search field to the relevant subject category.
4. Select Keywords: Similar to searching for other materials for teaching and research, identify keywords that align with your course content and learning goals. 
5. Evaluate Promising OER: Use the Evaluating OER section of this guide to assess the relevance and quality of the OER you have selected.
6. Ask for Help: If you are having trouble locating relevant materials, contact one of our Research Librarians for a consultation.