Skip to Main Content

Library Guides

Open Educational Resources: Evaluating OER

Evaluation Process

Evaluation Process

Like you would with a normal textbook, it is important to evaluate the OER resource that you are thinking about using in your classroom. Here are a few steps you might take in the evaluation process. It is most likely a process similar to the one you follow to review textbooks and other materials already, so feel free to use a similar or modified version.

  1. Does this OER cover the content you'd like your students to learn from this course or module?
  2. How accessible is this content? Will it be accessible for your students, or is it too technical? Or is it robust and challenging enough for your students?
  3. How can you use the content? Verify the license that the resource is under. Can you remix or revise the OER as long as it isn't for commercial purposes? Who do you have to recognize if you want to use it? Will you be able to do so? 
  4. Once you determine how you can use OER, what would you like to do with it? Does only a portion of it apply to your class? Would you possibly want to combine this OER with another OER or resource? Does the library have access to articles that could act as supplemental readings?
  5. As you collect more OER and other resources, save them in a central location. Take note of how you envision using them. Align these resources with the learning objectives and weekly lessons on your syllabus in order to identify gaps.

Criteria

infographic on criteria evaluating oer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graphic by Megan Pritcher

Sample Rubrics, Checklists and Tools

It is important to keep the 5Rs in mind when adopting, adapting, or building OER resources and courses, but using rubrics or other evaluative tools to measure effectiveness, accessibility and alignment to student learning outcomes are key. Here are some links that are examples of rubrics. Keep in mind that some of the examples are designed to evaluate overall OER courses and not individual OER course materials.

  • Checklist for Evaluating OER - A checklist developed by ACC Instructional & Faculty Development Department for evaluating OER under consideration for adaption.
  • Achieve OER Rubrics - 8 rubrics developed by Achieve.org to help states, districts, teachers, and other users determine the degree of alignment of OER to college- and career-ready standards and to determine other aspects of quality of OER.
  • OER Evaluation Criteria - From affordable Learning Georgia a six component checklist for evaluating OER.

Accessibility

These resources on accessibility may be helpful when considering adopting or adapting OER for your courses.

Impact of OER on Students and Faculty

The Open Educational Group conducts empirical research on the impact of OER adoption. Consult their Review Project page for a summary of all known empirical research on the impact of OER adoption.

Recent Journal Articles:

Why Use an Open Textbook in Your Course?

Head of Scholarly Communications