Resources

FAQ

For Learners

Do I have to pay to use OER?

No, at least as a general rule. That’s the beauty of open education resources. While they are not free in the sense that the user must abide by the license terms, for example to give attribution, share alike or refrain from use for commercial purposes, they are free in that authors cannot charge for access. However, some presumptive OER may be delivered in printed form, or included with other types of materials, either of which can require payments or cost recovery. But the original, digital version of OER, if CC-licensed, may not in and of itself be restricted in terms of access.

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Will learning with OER give me course credit?

Not quite. Use of OER does not confer upon the user any academic credit (to date, no educational institutions that we are aware of award credit for use of OER, though we hope this will change). Rather, OER is intended to supplement your coursework and/or expand your horizons for the love of learning. Having trouble understanding your physics teachers? Search for OER related to physics to find supplemental lectures, course notes and syllabi from other educators and learners.

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How can I find more OER?

We are exploring ways to build a scalable, extensible, federated search for all educational resources on the web. This project is under development.
You can also browse some of the existing search portals which we have aggregated on the ccLearn site.

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How do I know the OER I am looking at are any good?

As with anything on the web, there is no definitive way to determine whether an OER is “good”. One of the key skills that people should be developing in our information-rich world is the ability to perform online research to help evaluate the relative merit and trustworthiness of different information sources. There are several ways to make quick determinations of quality, such as the identity and credentials of the author, the prestige of the hosting institution, user feedback and ratings, and so on. Ultimately, the only way to obtain good information about the relative qualities of different OER is for the user community to provide that feedback for others to benefit from. Our search project is being designed to enable such feedback and to capitalize on any such information that already exists.

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I found an error. Am I allowed to correct the OER?

Unless the OER is licensed using the ND (No Derivatives) term, you should be able to make the correction directly, assuming that the OER is available in an editable format. For your own purposes, whether or not you re-submit your edits to WWW, you can always make such corrections. We encourage people to host their OER in platforms that make edits easy so that the resources can benefit from minor corrections and other improvements generated by the user community.Top

I think I can make something better/more appropriate/in the correct language/etc than the OER I am currently learning from. Do I have the right to improve it?

Look to the terms of the license in order to determine how you may use the work legally. So long as the terms do not include ND (No Derivatives), you may make legal derivatives to edit, revise and improve the work.

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If the OER is licensed CC-BY-NC (or CC-BY-NC-SA), does that mean that it can only be used for educational purposes?

No. There are no “educational use only” license terms in OER. A user must simple comply with the above terms: attribute the author (BY), use for only noncommercial purposes (NC), (and, if marked SA (Share Alike), relicense any derivatives in the same manner as the original). As with any legal principle, the NC term is not strictly defined, thus leaving some latitude for interpretation to the users. On the one hand, this can be frustrating, and clarification of the NC term is a frequent request, which is certainly one of the motivations for our planned study of this issue in the near future. On the other hand, the latitude makes it possible for the community to explore the ways in which the spirit of the NC term can be upheld even if there is money changing hands, such as with free but ad-supported sites, or in cost-recovery (as opposed to for-profit) models. While there are a few organizations involved in open education who apply a very strict interpretation to the NC term ( i.e., no monetary transactions allowed at all), most organizations focus on the intent of the transaction…. if the intent is not to make money, but rather just to support operating costs, for example, then the NC term may not be violated. This latter definition makes the most sense to many given that educational materials are clearly fundamental to the educational system, which students pay for. If the NC term were to negate the possibility for all financial transactions, then we might not even be able to use these materials in public school systems.

All of that said, in the interest of maximizing interoperability, ccLearn recommends that, wherever possible, OER should be released under the most permissive license possible: CC-BY or CC-BY-SA. On the other hand, a very good reason for the NC term is when there are third-party materials involved, in which case it likely that the only way to get the materials released openly is to apply the NC term. These issues are all being actively considered by ccLearn and partners; check back to this site for additional information as things develop.

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For Instructors and OER Creators

How can I find OER?

We are exploring ways to build a scalable, extensible, federated search for all educational resources on the web. This project is in development.

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Who creates OER?

OER are created by anyone, anywhere. There is no globally accepted definition for an “educational resource”, and the “open” term is subject to a variety of definitions as well. For our purposes, we define an OER as any object which was designed explicitly with learning (formal or informal) in mind. These include texts, videos, audio files, mixed media, online courses, curricula, learning objects, interactive programs or learning games, learning software, and anything else related to the educational enterprise. A lot of OER are hosted by institutions, which tends to serve as an arbiter of quality (e.g., OCWC). Other OER are contributed to open repositories where they are subject to reviews and ratings from the user community (e.g., Connexions). While the origins and forms of OER are varied and scattered today, our expectation is that OER numbers will continue to grow exponentially and that new and existing systems of sorting and evaluating those OER will continue to emerge and be improved. In theory, anyone who has an insight on how to enable educational access and increase understanding should participate in the ongoing creation and use of OER.Top

How do I know that the OER are trustworthy/factual/etc?

As with anything on the web, there is no definitive way to determine whether an OER is “good”. One of the key skills that people should be developing in our information-rich world is the ability to perform online research to help evaluate the relative merit and trustworthiness of different information sources. There are several ways to make quick determinations of quality, such as the identity and credentials of the author, the prestige of the hosting institution, user feedback and ratings, and so on. Ultimately, the only way to obtain good information about the relative qualities of different OER is for the user community to provide that feedback for others to benefit from. Our search project is being designed to enable such feedback and to capitalize on any such information that already exists.

The OER are not quite what I need. Can I adapt them to be a better fit for my situation?

Look to the terms of the license in order to determine how you may use the work legally. So long as the terms do not include ND (No Derivatives), you may make legal derivatives to revise the work to fit your situation.

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I would like to give some feedback to the author of the OER. Can I do that?

There is nothing stopping you from giving feedback to anyone (regardless of copyright status), unless you cannot find contact information, in which case there is nothing to be done! It is part of the spirit of most OER that feedback is usually encouraged, so we strongly encourage you to get involved and share any insights you may have. Sometimes it is more effective to share your ideas more publicly, such as via a blog or using a comment tool on a hosting site, since other people can learn from your insights more effectively that way.Top

The OER are in the wrong language. Can I translate them?

A translation is a derivative work under the law of copyright. Therefore, in order to translate a work, the work may not be accompanied by a ND (No Derivatives) license. Otherwise, translations are strongly encouraged! Make sure to share your translation with the broader OER community (e.g., by uploading the translation to the same site as the original).

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I would like to include the OER in one of my lesson plans, which I am also placing on the WWW. Is this OK?

Mere publication of OER would not constitute a violation per se of a Creative Commons license. So long as publication to the web does not contravene a term of use, that publication is legal.

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How can I find colleagues using OER in my field, or teaching at my grade level?

We are compiling data on existing projects, including areas of focus, contact info, licensing policies, and any other relevant info that comes to mind, and we are planning to release all of these data in an interactive format that will allow others to find and sort projects of interest. We also expect to include the ability for people to add their own projects or other projects they are aware of. Ideally, this archive and the associated tools of engagement will facilitate collaboration and synergy among the various open education projects. We will also be tracking the evolution of this space over time to produce regular “state of the movement” reports for the community.

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I have always used materials from the WWW without any problems, under the auspices of fair-use. Why should I use OER instead?

The doctrine of fair use is applied by courts as a balancing test, which means that it’s very difficult to predict how a court will come out on a fair-use claim. While educational use of copyrighted work represents a fairly well established use, by engaging OER a user can use the work with complete certainty that they are not using the work illegally.

Also, fair use (or copyright exceptions and limitations) is not protected worldwide, which limits its utility for materials that might otherwise be used in other countries. Finally, fair use only applies to use of existing works; you do not have the right to adapt or derive those works under the auspices of fair use and then share those derivatives with your colleagues. By using OER, you open up all manner of additional possibilities for sharing your insights and ideas and making your work have an impact far greater than would otherwise be possible.

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My school wants to post all of the materials I use online. Is there any problem with doing so?

The question to ask is, “Who owns the copyright?” If you own the copyright to all of the works in question, then there is nothing stopping you from giving permission to your school to post all of your materials online. However, many teachers use materials that are copyrighted by someone else, often under the auspices of fair use. In this case, you do not have the right to re-publish those materials, such as you would be doing by putting them online, without getting permission from the copyright holder(s).

There are some possible exceptions to this constraint. For example, it may be possible to post materials under strict constraint for them to be used only for educational purposes, thus simply broadening the pool of users that can exercise their constitutional rights of fair use. But this premise has not really been tested, and we do not know how it will be interpreted by the rights-holders or the courts.

Prior experience among several OER projects suggests that many rights holders are willing to re-license their works using CC licenses in order to gain the advantages for learning and exposure that openness brings. In particular, the CC BY-NC (and CC BY-NC-SA) licenses are popular choices for this purpose.

We encourage you to discuss these issues with your administration and to contact us with further questions or concerns.

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I would love to share my own OER, but want to be sure that no one else profits from my work. I should apply the NC term, correct?

If you do not want to permit the work to be used for commercial use, a NonCommercial term would suffice. However, we ask you to consider this decision carefully, as there are many positive ways that your work could be used to increase educational acess and opportunities which might violate the NC clause. For example, it is not clear if NC-licensed materials can be hosted on ad-supported (but otherwise free) sites, or if they can be included in print materials that are distributed at cost (such as might be the case in developing countries where access to the WWW is limited), and so on. For additional considerations of this issue, please look at some of the resources available and check back on this site as we add additional information in the future.

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I would hate to see people damage the integrity of my work, so my best recourse is to use the ND term, correct?

Perhaps. There is no way for anyone to damage the integrity of your original work, no matter how you have licensed it. That is the nature of digital works: you can create an infinite number of copies and adaptations without ever diminishing the integrity of the original. Given that fact, one should be very careful about whether it makes sense to negate the potential for derivative works to improve on your original. While we cannot ever be sure of outcomes, experience suggests that the majority of derivative works will be valuable contributions to the overall pool of OER. If someone inappropriately adapts your work, you always have the option to disavow any association with the derivative.

If you choose to apply the ND term, then your work may not be derived, which means that the only right beyond standard (all rights reserved) copyright which has been granted is the right to share unlimited copies freely with anyone.

There are a few important circumstances in which the ND term is particularly appropriate. For example, consensus documents (such as standards protocols or committee-generated works) may reflect specific wording choices that are not appropriate to additional amendment. Even here, however, it is usually better to release two versions: a fixed (ND-licensed) version and an adaptable version, since there is always the chance that someone will have insights and ideas for improvement that you would not otherwise be able to leverage.

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I don’t mind other people using and adapting my work, but I want the derivative works to always remain available for others to use as well, so I should apply the SA term, correct?

Correct, the Share Alike term requires that users who make derivatives of the originally licensed work to license the derivative work in the same way the original work was licensed to them. Therefore, to ensure your work remains available, use the Share Alike license in combination with other Creative Commons licenses to express just how free you would like that work to remain. Recall, though, that the Share Alike license only applies to derivatives, so uses that do not constitute derivatives are not required to relicense as Share Alike.

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If I apply a CC license to my work, doesn’t that mean that I can never license my works in any other way?

Absolutely not, that is the beauty of engaging in Creative Commons licenses. The license extends only between the author and the end user of the Creative Commons licensed work. In no way does it prohibit the author from engaging in revenue generating contractual relations with publishers or other institutions.

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I would like to use OER in my classroom, but I cannot afford to use materials that are not reconciled with my state standards. Are there any OER available for which this has been done?

Under construction…

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I am worried that I will lose control of my classroom if I use materials that the students can get online. Should I be?

Whether you like it or not, students use commercial outlines, cliffsnotes and other forms of study aids to supplement their learning. By reviewing pertinent OER and encouraging students to use these materials instead of allowing students to choose, unfettered, which commercial supplements will best serve their needs, educators maintain control of the perspective students learn the materials and foster supplements that truly supplement learning (instead of providing simple answers)

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I am worried that students will have no reason to attend my class if the materials are always available to them. How can I avoid this potential problem?

OER is not intended to supplant the in-class experience. The risk that OER will do so is no greater than students who may not attend class and rely solely on commercial outlines.

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I am worried that the students will discover better ways of learning the material than I can offer, and I will look stupid. What can I do about this?

OER pools the shared expertise of teachers and professors worldwide, and so the opportunity to discover new and improved ways of teaching is great. If there are better ways to be an effective instructor, embrace and adopt it!

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I am worried that it will take me too much time to organize OER for use in my classroom. How will OER save me time?

OER is organized on individual sites or in the aggregate by search engines often by easy to use categories - courses of instruction, grade levels etc - and provides a user friendly approach to mine through large amounts of resources in a quick and efficient way.

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For Administrators

We cannot afford cheap, unreliable learning materials. The future of our children’s education is at stake! Don’t you agree?

Freedom and unreliability are not synonymous! Consider that creators of OER include top university professors around the world. Feel better?

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OER are unlikely to be as high-quality, or gain acceptance with the State standards boards, so it is safer to avoid them, don’t you think?

Under construction…

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Should I be worried about the abilities of my teachers to actually utilize OER in their classrooms?

Not at all. OER is often designed with the understanding that they will be used across a broad section of the global community and are therefore often easy to comprehend and implement by qualified instructors and learners.

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Should I be worried about encouraging students to look up classroom materials online? What about attendance? What about tests? What about academic honesty?

Again, OER is not intended to supplant classroom attendance, tests or academic honesty. Like other study aids available, OER provide substantive information to only supplement in class coursework, however OER is designed by actual learners and students and are therefore often more finely attuned to the needs of other learners and students.

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There is only so much time in the day, so I don’t want to recommend that teachers spend extra time on using new materials or involving students in these ways. Wouldn’t you agree that there is a trade-off here?

Instructors already spend time sifting through supplemental material that learners use to encourage or discourage their use, OER is no different.

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Other than cost-savings, what other compelling reasons are there for using OER at my school?

Consider that OER is made by actual learners and instructors and are therefore quite refined to the real needs of learners and instructors, accurately identifying their needs.

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How will I be able to afford the extra costs of training teachers in these new ways?

No training is required for effective use of OER, similar to using any supplemental materials. All that is required is basic understanding of how to use the internet and navigate websites.

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OER require too much technology, and our school doesn’t have those types of resources. So we probably can’t participate, right?

Not at all. OER comes in various forms, Quicktime movies, word documents, PDF’s etc. These are all standard documents most likely in use by your district. All that is needed is connection to the internet to access these materials.

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If children create materials in the course of their assignments, who owns the copyright?

Without any agreement between the guardians and instructors that a school owns the right to student’s work (which appears rather rare), the student who creates the material owns the copyright in the work.

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Aren’t we liable if we post minor-created materials on the WWW and someone mis-uses them?

No. No liability attaches when creating OER, as Creative Commons licenses specifically states so and that no warrantees are incurred when using a Creative Commons licensed document.

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How can we reward children for doing good work (by posting their work online) while still protecting their identities?

The Attribution license requires that users of those posted works give credit “the way you request.” One idea would be to suggest attribution not to the creator of the work (the child) but rather to the school.

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Do we need parental permission for children to post things on the internet?

Under construction…