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OER Start Guide

This guide is designed to introduce faculty to Open Educational Resources, what they are, why they are important, how to find them, how to recognize them, and how to use them. This guide also covers the basics of United States Copyright Law.

Step-by-Step How To

How to Modify an Existing Open Textbook

  1. Check the license - make sure you have permission to modify the content
  2. Check the format of the textbook - make sure you have access to a technical format of the book that you can work with and modify (HTML, ePub, Word, etc.) 
  3. Choose editing tools - determine what editing tools you want to use to modify the text (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pressbooks, etc.)
  4. Choose a license for your new work - the license you use on your new work will depend largely on the license used on the original textbook. 
  5. Determine the formats for your book - consider providing access to your textbook in multiple formats (PDF, HTML, ePUB, etc.) so that users can choose to read a format that works for them
  6. Publishing/Hosting your book - determine how your students will get access to your book (will you upload it to D2L? to Opendora? will it be hosted online with a link?)

"6 Steps to Modifying an Open Textbook" by Clint Lalonde, CC-BY

When the Perfect Open Textbook just doesn't Exist

Faculty often enter the OER Adoption process thinking that they will find a single textbook that will work for them, only to discover that the perfect OER hasn't been created yet.  This often leads to a sense of discouragement, because most faculty are accustomed to the mindset that all they need is one resource.  Breaking that mindset, that thought that they can only use one resource, opens faculty to the world of remixed OERs and flexible instructional content.  It can be daunting, realizing that the textbook no longer dictates the direction of your course, but that, instead, you dictate the direction of your textbook.  So where do you start?

  1. Establish a list of learning objectives - for each module or topic in your course, define what it is you want your students to learn, how those learning objectives can be met, what type of resources you would like to use to do that, and establish keywords for searching
  2. Search for open content - for each module or topic in your course, use the keywords you established to search for and find open content you can use. Consult your campus OER expert and/or Librarian for research assistance.
  3. Select or create appropriate open content - making sure to meet your own established learning objectives, and evaluating resources for reliability, accuracy, format, and other criteria, select the open content you actually wish to use within your course
    • Check the license - make sure you have permission to modify the content
    • Check the format of the textbook - make sure you have access to a technical format of the book that you can work with and modify (HTML, ePub, Word, etc.) 
  4. Organize your content - once you have selected the content you wish to use, you must organize it into a textbook or course shell.  If you choose to create an open textbook with that content, you will need to be sure that the open resources you include have compatible licenses.
    • Choose editing tools - determine what editing tools you want to use to compile and modify the text (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pressbooks, etc.)
    • Choose a license for your new work - the license you use on your new work will depend largely on the license used on the original sources - remember to consult your campus OER expert and/or Librarian regarding the Creative Commons Licenses used on the various materials you will be incorporating into that textbook, especially content that you have modified or remixed in some way.. 
  5. Determine the formats for your book - consider providing access to your textbook in multiple formats (PDF, HTML, ePUB, etc.) so that users can choose to read a format that works for them
  6. Publishing/Hosting your book - determine how your students will get access to your book (will you upload it to D2L? to Opendora? will it be hosted online with a link?)

This step-by-step guide combines content from "6 Steps to Modifying an Open Textbook" by Clint Lalonde, CC-BY and "Open Textbook Adoption Worksheet" by Dr. Judy Baker, CC-BY

Publishing Resources & Editing Tools

Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project

Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project

The Minnesota Library Publishing Project (MLPP) provides online publishing tools and training information to support independent authors and small publishers. Follow the steps on the "How to Create an Account" page to create an account. Follow the steps on the "How to Create a Book" page to get started creating a book. Remember, OERs can be copied and remixed, so long as you follow the terms of the license and provide attribution.  You don't need to create all content from scratch!

Open Author

Open Author

A free editing and publishing tool for OER authors that allows you to improve and change texts by remixing resources to customize learning for your needs. From OER Commons.

Lulu

Lulu

Lulu is a self-publishing tool. Users can create a printed book or an ebook, but should be aware that only ebooks can be made freely available.  Physical book pricing depends on a variety of selections, made by creators.

AnyFlip

AnyFlip

AnyFlip is a free tool that allows users to convert PDFs into interactive, realistic Flash & HTML5 flipbooks.  It allows for unlimited publications and provides secure and reliable hosting for e-books.

Read about OER Authoring & Publishing

Licensing Your Open Textbook

 

 

"What is an open license and how does it work?" by The Council of Chief State School Officers, CC-BY

If you wish to apply a Creative Commons License to your own work, use this Creative Commons tool to choose the permissions and terms you would like your CC License to encompass, and the tool will tell you which Creative Commons License best fits your needs.

A Member of Minnesota State