OER Step-by-step

Step one: Set aside time.
Searching for these materials takes time and persistence, just like research!

Step two: Get cozy with your learning objectives.
Instead of focusing on the textbook that you would like to replace, focus on what you would like students to know or be able to do. 

Step three: If you are replacing a textbook, take a look to see if someone else has created a similar, complete OER course or textbook.

Although it's possible that you might find one open textbook to suit all your needs, more likely you will need to search for materials that address different topics or components of your complete class.
Example: instead of searching for “biology” materials, search for “cell structure” or “DNA” or “evolution” materials.

Step four: Use Google “Advanced Search” to search for open resources.

Step five: Search within some of the specific OER repositories/OER search engines:

*OER Librarian pro-tip* Use the browsing tools that the repository or search engine presents to you! Don’t rely solely on keyword searching.

Step six: Look for library materials like ebooks, articles and streaming videos to fill in gaps.
Visit the library's homepage, http://library.fullcoll.edu, to search our collection.

Step seven: Not finding what you’re looking for? Ask your OER liasion.
I’m happy to help or refer you! Email kadams@fullcoll.edu.

Step eight: Consider creating and sharing your own OER.
Open Learn has a helpful open, modular online course "Creating Open Educational Resources"

Need more advice on searching for OER?
Check out this 60 minute webinar “Finding and Selecting High Quality OER” from the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources:

Searching for Open Educational Resources 
Looking for OER? This interactive session will cover search strategies for finding OER. Participants will search for resources and leave the webinar with some “go to” sites for locating OER. (slides)

Finding OER Textbooks

Open Textbook Collections

Open textbooks have been funded, published, and licensed to be freely used, adapted, and distributed. They can be read online or downloaded at no cost, and they can often be printed at low cost. Below are some examples of high-quality open textbook collections that would be most relevant for CA Community Colleges.

• ASCCC OERI Open Educational Resources by Discipline: Lists of open textbooks by discipline, curated by CCC faculty.
• College of the Canyons OER Textbooks: A highly relevant collection of free online textbooks written by CCC faculty.
• CC ECHO (CA Consortium for Equitable Change in Hispanic Serving Institutions OER): Textbooks recently created by CCC faculty.
• LibreTexts (UC Davis): Widely used, well-developed, largest centralized open education project and platform online. 
• OpenStax (Rice University): High-quality, peer-reviewed textbooks and accompanying ancillary materials, such as slides and test banks. 
• Open Textbook Library (UMN): A well-curated collection of over 1,000 high-quality open textbooks in many subjects, with faculty reviews.

More OER Collections & Search Tools

• OER Commons: A large searchable repository. The CA Community Colleges Hub may be of particular interest.
• COOL4Ed (California Open Online Library for Education): Search by C-ID or browse the faculty showcase by discipline and/or institution.
• BCcampus: Curated selection of high-quality OER. Search or browse by discipline.
• ROTEL (Remixing Open Textbooks through an Equity Lens): A growing collection of OER textbooks created or adapted with an equity and inclusion lens.
• Open RN & Next Gen RN: OER resources for Nursing (textbooks, virtual simulations, and NCLEX practice questions).
• GALILEO Open Learning Materials (University System of Georgia): High-quality open textbooks and ancillary materials.
• Open Oregon: Offers information about the actual classes using the OER, links to materials, and instructor information. 
• OASIS: User-friendly OER search tool developed by SUNY Geneseo's Milne Library.

Remember the Public Domain

Don't forget about the public domain! This refers to creative works that are not protected by copyright (for example, works published over 95 years ago). To learn more about the Public Domain, see this excellent guide from the University of Texas Libraries: Public Domain Information. Use the left menu to browse public domain collections of books, images, audio/video, and government sites.

Tip: Librarians Can Be Terrific Allies!

Librarians are often the most knowledgeable source on campus when it comes to finding OER, and they may have already developed guides and resources. Librarians can also recommend zero-cost options such as eBooks. Note: Situations will vary based on your particular library and the resources available.

Page Adapted from "Teaching with OER and Open Pedagogy for Equity" by Aloha Sargent and College of the Canyons, for the California Community Colleges’ Zero Textbook Cost Degree program, is licensed under CC BY 4.0