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University and District Library

"Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational materials of any kind and in any medium that are licensed under an open license. Such a license allows free access as well as free use, modification, and redistribution by third parties without or with minimal restrictions. The creators themselves determine which usage rights to grant and which rights to reserve." (Source: UNESCO-Definition)
oer_logo_en_1.png (DE)
OER Global Logo from 2012 Jonathas Mello www.jonathasmello.com, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), via UNESCO

OER can include images, graphics, videos, audio files, as well as documents, textbooks, learning modules, or concepts. - It is important that all materials have been published under an open license, which provides detailed information about the terms of use: Can the materials be modified? What sources must be cited? What needs to be considered when publishing?

There is no specific requirement for indicating the license; however, the pre-made standard license agreements of the non-profit organization Creative Commons (CC) have become widely accepted, being legally secure both in Germany and internationally. With the help of CC licenses, creators can grant usage rights to their created materials to other individuals.

What are the benefits of OER?

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NEU_Resources_F-01.png by Manfred Steger via https://oer-contentbuffet.info, CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

OER materials can be used without needing to ask the author for permission. This saves time and facilitates reuse: Instead of creating all teaching contents, exercise sheets, or exam questions themselves, instructors can use and adapt existing materials for their teaching scenarios. Students can use the free and open educational materials for self-study and deepen their knowledge individually. In this way, both interdisciplinary academic exchange and lifelong learning are promoted. Additionally, teaching materials that have been edited, expanded, or updated by colleagues from the field have a higher quality, which in turn benefits the reputation of the university.

Where can I find OER materials?

ORCA.nrw Logo
Logo ORCA.nrw | All usage rights are held by the office of the state portal ORCA.nrw

The state portal ORCA.nrw enables finding and exchanging educational materials of all kinds, thus supporting digitally supported teaching and learning at universities in North Rhine-Westphalia. All materials on ORCA.nrw are available under a free license (Creative Commons license or CC license) and can be used and adapted by portal users free of charge. The contents are subject to continuous monitoring and development in terms of didactics, content, and technology.

We have provided you with a list of free images, illustrations, graphics, icons, and music. The materials are licensed under an open CC license and can be used by you, citing the license, for your teaching/learning materials, for example.

What support is available for creating OER?

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Ressource_Kuchen_F-01.png by Manfred Steger via https://oer-contentbuffet.info, CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

The library's e-learning team offers individual consultations for the creation and provision of OER materials. Trainings on this topic are also offered at irregular intervals, usually being announced through the university's mailing list.

For financial support for the creation of free educational materials, you can apply for funding from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the Digital University NRW (DH.NRW). Once there are calls for proposals, these will be forwarded through the university's mailing list. Additionally, you can also receive further financial support at H-BRS through the funding programs of ZIEL (Centre for Teaching Development and Innovation).

More information about OER

... can be found in the "Online Teaching Toolbox" on our teaching/learning platform in LEA.

Contact

Anna Sancillo (DE)

Anna Sancillo

Consultant for e-learning, Network office ORCA.nrw

Location

Sankt Augustin

Room

A 167

Address

Grantham-Allee 20

53757, Sankt Augustin

Telephone

+49 2241 865 182