Open Educational Resources (OER) have been in development for more than a decade. New content is being created and published every day at all educational levels and in a variety of online repositories.

There are also a wealth of free, open source tools that educators can use for free.  A list of some resources – both content-based and technology-based – can be found via my diigo list:  http://www.diigo.com/list/sashatberr/open-educational-resources.

What are Open Educational Resources?  Why do we need them?  Check out the great video below:

A great explanation posted on David Blake’s YouTube Channel.  David Wiley did the voice recording and editing. Degreed sponsored the animation, which was done by Mike Moon and produced by Haugen Creative.

Into Prezi?  Check out this Jing’d version of a presentation that shares the history and core concepts of OER.  Though this presentation was recorded a couple of years ago, it’s still highly relevant.  Some of the resources are a little date (particularly FlatWorld Knowledge, which is no longer open sources).  Also, MOOCs aren’t mentioned.  Because they hadn’t really happened yet at that time (at least not in the format that we now know them in).

Why Reinvent the Wheel?  http://breeze.tri-c.edu/whyreinventthewheel/

What is the licensing model that can make this type of sharing happen?  Creative Commons of course!  Creative Commons Licensing is an important component of Open Educational Resources.  They have a variety of licensing options that allows you to share your work but require proper citation.  Check out their website HERE.

Using a Creative Commons License and allowing folks to cite and reuse your work also benefits the author.  First, you have access to a wider audience than previously, and second, it puts you in the driver’s seat regarding releasing and sharing your content.

First video on Creative Commons:

Second video on Creative Commons:

A great infographic about online learning that highlights free online courses and resources: