Tools for creating content
Tools for remixing content
- H2O from Harvard LawCreate custom playlists of course readings and other material.
- LibGuidesLibGuides (like this one) can be used to compile content for your course. This link goes to a custom libguide created for PSY 250 at Northwestern Michigan College. Ask a librarian to help you create your own!
- OER Commons Module BuilderThe Module Builder allows authors to create both student and instructor facing content views. Authors are encouraged to include overviews, pedagogical supporting text, and instructions.
- 20 Million Minds MixAllows faculty to create high grade custom textbooks in both digital and print formats.
- OERcaOpen source software from the University of Michigan designed to help instructors compile and create course materials.
- Open Textbook LibraryOpen Textbook Network allows for modifying of their open textbooks using the Pressbooks platform.
- Lumen LearningInstitutional subscription required for access to authoring platform and hosting of OER content
- Open Attribution BuilderA citation tool for open content.
Using videos
© 2014 dandy. Licensed under CC-BY.
- How to use YouTube video editorYouTube's editor can be helpful in customizing OER videos for your class.
- TedEdCreate a lesson by adding questions, discussion topics, and other supplementary materials to Ted Talks or any educational video on YouTube.
Attribution
This guide page is adapted from: "Open Educational Resources: Create" by Northwestern Michigan College Library is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Getting Started
Affordable Learning Georgia Tutorial: Customizing and Authoring Content - this is an excellent tutorial on how to create your own OER and adapt others' OER to your course.
Creative Commons Search
Search the web with Creative Commons filtered search engine to find web sites, articles, videos, images, and other resources licensed for sharing.
OER and Accessibility
Just like traditional textbooks, open educational materials must be accessible to all students. Below are resources that help with accessibility standards for OER.
- Instructional Design Services @ ACCIDS is available to help faculty design and develop instructional activities and course materials with technology tools that align with students learning outcomes.
Helping Students Use OER Text Materials
Your students may need help figuring out how to adapt to all online materials. Some will want to download and print them. Here are links to some instructions and tools that will make it easy for them to adapt to your materials.
Here are short videos showing how to highlight and make notes on the digital copy of your text materials by using Adobe Reader (for PCs) or Preview (for Macs) or Notable PDF (Chrome.)
Government Publications
Everything published by the Federal government is free of any copyright restrictions. The research, reports and websites can be useful resources for classes when creating your own course material.
- A great starting place to search is USA.gov.
- Try to search a specific agency's website. A-Z List of Federal Agencies. Many times these materials are not retrieved with simple Google searches. Here are some examples of US Federal Databases.
The Homeland Security Digital Library is a collection of documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management. Topics include maritime, unmanned aerial systems, terrorism, epidemics and many more.
SciTech Connect is a collection of science, technology, and engineering research information from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Open Journals
"The most comprehensive searchable index of free scientific and scholarly content in full-text formats." (Choice Reviews)