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Open Educational Resources

A guide to using Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources - What Are They?

According to the OhioLINK Affordable Learning Ohio Page, "The Hewlett Foundation defines OER as 'teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others.' Other definitions of OER exist and, generally, they identify three primary components; learning materials that are freely available and licensed in a way that enable their reuse by users." 

Open Educational Resources can include, but are not limited to, textbooks (Open access, creative commons, or otherwise open use), ancillary materials, video presentations, and interactive materials.

OER at BGSU

Bowling Green State University Libraries offers the following opportunities and incentives for BGSU faculty interested in adopting OER or developing their own open materials: 

  • Contact Tim Sandusky, Open Educational Resources Specialist at BGSU, to discuss OERs, how they can be used, or to request a search for possible OERs for your course. Use the buttons in the "Your OER Strategist" box to email or request an appointment. 
     
  • An OER Adoption Grant of $300, offered year round, is available to faculty members who wish to replace a traditional textbook with an OER.  An OER Creation Grant of $3,000, offered once annually, is available for faculty members who wish to create an OER. More information on these grants is available here: https://www.bgsu.edu/library/services/for/instructors/for-your-publishing/oer.html