Skip to Main Content

Open Educational Resources (OER)

Guide to identifying open textbooks and open educational resources. Information about UWM's Open Textbook initiative.

Mason OER Metafinder

Search: Mason OER Metafinder
 

The Mason OER Metafinder helps you find Open Educational Resources with a real-time, simultaneous search across 21 different sources of open educational materials. Mason searches OER repositories like OpenStaxOER CommonsMERLOT and sites like HathiTrustDPLAInternet Archive and NYPL Digital Collections, where valuable but often overlooked "open" educational materials may be found. In this case, "open" is in quotes because the materials in these additional digital collections have some Copyright restrictions. They are, however, widely and reliably accessible to students on the web and can be curated in your course following Fair Use.

The Mason OER Metafinder allows users to do a deeper web search than a typical Google search, revealing documents, essays, etc.

 

Low Cost Resources

General repositories and databases for searching for performing arts oers:

Here are some examples of specific and useful OER content for the Performing Arts: Music and Dance

Free to access and use through the library.

Fair Use is broad because it includes all other materials that are not Creative Commons, and that our library does not have direct license to use. Interlibrary Loan is an additional resource in finding supplemental materals that can be used under fair use. Below are some helpful links to examples, information, and scenerios in better understanding fair use doctrine,

Incorporating low cost textbook options within Performing Arts courses

Instructors in the performing arts who want to reduce reliance on expensive textbooks and anthologies face some extra challenges: performed materials often have multiple levels of copyright involved: composer or playwright, performing ensemble, multiple performers. They also rely on the work of performers and institutions outside the university system who need to be compensated for their work. Music and video performances are only rarely provided in truly free and open access venues. But combining open educational resources and other copyright-compliant methods of access can reduce costs for students while respecting the rights of artists. The three main legal bases for distributing pre-existing material to your students are:​

  • Open educational resources. Free materials with existing licenses that grant rights for broad use in educational contexts.​
  • Paid licensing. Materials with existing licenses that grant limited rights for use by specific groups, like materials paid for by the library or through streaming licenses like Spotify.​
  • Fair use doctrine. Legal protection for certain uses of copyrighted material without the creator's permission.​

No-Cost Resource For Performing Arts Courses