Open Educational Resources (OER)

What is OER?

According to UNESCO, OER encompasses teaching, learning, and research resources that are either in the public domain or are furnished with intellectual property licenses that permit unrestricted use, modification, and sharing. 

These licenses are structured to grant users enduring and cost-free authorization to participate in what are known as the “5R activities”.

5R's Activities:

  • Retain – the right to make, own, and control copies of the content (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage)
  • Reuse – the right to use the content in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)
  • Revise – the right to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language)
  • Remix – the right to combine the original or revised content with other material to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)
  • Redistribute – the right to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)

Type of Open Educational Resources Available

Open Textbooks

Open textbooks are freely accessible and openly licensed textbooks that can be used by anyone, including students, educators, and institutions.

Open Courseware

Open courseware includes full courses, materials, and content published by universities and educational institutions that can be accessed and used by anyone.

Open Journals

Open journals freely accessible, openly licensed, and can be used and reused by anyone for research, analysis, and other purposes.

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