What is OER?

The term Open Educational Resources (OER) refers to educational materials that are freely available and licensed in a way that gives users the legal permission to

reuse – use the work “as-is” without having to ask permission
revise - alter or transform the work to meet the user’s needs
remix – combine the work with other works for an enhanced effect
redistribute – share the work or derivative work with others.

OER at Michigan State University are licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Why OER?

The benefits of using and producing open educational resources fall into the following categories:

AWARENESS
- expands the reach and dissemination of materials, therefore increasing brand recognition
CONNECTION
- New way of teaching and learning that is more collaborative and participatory
- Shared content becomes a vehicle for collaboration and connection
PRESERVATION & IMPROVEMENT
- Materials are not lost after use but preserved digitally
- Shared materials are continually improved upon through iterations
ACCESS & EFFICIENCY
- Contributions to a pool of learning resources can circumvent barriers to access and improve education as a social good
- Materials can be adapted and localized to fit the specific audience need
- Saves time, cuts costs, and reduces duplication of effort