What are Not OERs?
If a resource is not free or openly licensed, it cannot be described as an OER. For example, most materials accessed through your library’s subscriptions cannot be altered, remixed, or redistributed. These materials require special permission to use and therefore cannot be considered “open.” Table 1 below explains the difference between OER and other resources often misattributed as OER.
Table 1. Components of an OER
| Material Type | Openly Licensed | Freely Available | Modifiable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open educational resources | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Free online resources under all rights
reserved copyright
|
No | Yes | No |
| Materials available through the university library | No | Yes | No |
| Open access articles and monographs | Yes | Yes | Maybe |
The OER Starter Kit by Abbey K. Elder is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted