Open Textbooks for Online Teaching
​During the transition to online learning, please note The Open Textbook Library and OpenStax provide consistent, online access to high quality textbooks that are free to use, adopt and adapt in your courses.
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Open Textbook LibraryThe Open Textbook Library is supported by the Center for Open Education and the Open Textbook Network. These books can be downloaded for no cost, or printed at low cost and have been reviewed by faculty from a variety of colleges and universities to assess their quality.
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OpenStaxOpenStax from Rice University offers free, online educational materials and textbooks, some of which can be printed at an affordable price
What is a Creative Commons license?
Creative Commons licenses provide a standardized way for authors and creators to grant the public permission to share and use their creative works. Creative Commons licenses mix and match the following elements:
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Attribution (BY) Give credit to the original author |
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Share Alike (SA) Distribute derivative works under the same license |
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Non-Commercial (NC) Only use the work for noncommercial purposes |
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No Derivatives (ND) Only use verbatim copies of the work |
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Choose a Creative Commons LicenseA simple way to choose the Creative Commons license that is right for you.
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What is OER?
According to UNESCO, "Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning or research materials that are in the public domain or released with an intellectual property license that allows for free use, adaptation, and distribution." OER include curriculum maps, course materials, textbooks, streaming videos, multimedia applications, podcasts, and any other materials that have been designed for use in teaching and learning.
The Creative Commons has gathered a number of definitions of OER from different organizations.
What can I do with OER?
When and author or creator amends their Copyright with a Creative Commons license, they are giving you permission to reuse their work in the following ways:
This material is based on original writing by David Wiley, which was published freely under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license at: Defining the "Open" in Open Content and Open Educational Resources.
Further reading on OER
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7 Things You Should Know About Open Education Content"7 Things You Should Know About Open Education:Content" by EDUCAUSE and is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 , 2018.
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A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)"A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)" was prepared by Neil Butcher for the Commonwealth of Learning & UNESCO and is licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO, 2011, 2015.
Research Help
Milwaukee WI 53201-0604
Getting help with OER and Canvas
The UWM Libraries and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning work in partnership to support Open Educational Resource discovery and adoption in courses. Please contact Kristin Woodward if you would like more information:
Guide Reuse and Attribution
Open Educational Resources (OER) by UWM Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.