Find out what Open Educational Resources (OER) publishing is, and how the Library adopting OER publishing principles can affect you.
The Library is exploring an alternative to the traditional (and expensive) textbook routes, that academics have long used to write and publish their learning resources. Traditional textbook publishing can limit availability, either through high cost or restrictive eBook licencing, and authors often have to relinquish copyright for their work to a publishing house. This is not the case with OER publishing – open publishing principles mean that:
- Students benefit from lifelong access
- Academics retain ownership of their content.
Following the success of our research-oriented Open Access Monographs project, the Library now supports teaching and learning content options that are designed using OER principles. These principles, similar to the premise of open journals, ensure free ‘end user’ access to knowledge. In short:
- OER remain directly controlled by academics and creators
- OER are accessible to a global academic and student audience
- OER are located on a range of free public platforms.
Quality control
Most OER platforms (but not all) provide options for peer review and appraisal both before and after publication – vital for ensuring quality control. Their popularity as alternatives to costly textbook publishing is increasing. A whole UK community of Practice is on hand to advise on how to find OER, add them to existing courses, and write new OER for emerging course needs.
Both students and academics benefit when teaching and learning resources sit beyond the usual paywalls. Student and other learners can have lifelong resource access, and academics make their own teaching resources impactful within other courses and programmes worldwide, boosting their audience.
Further resources
Our resource page has lots of OER advice and search tools listed, and information on how OER content is created, hosted, and promoted globally as part of an effective student learning experience. There are also lots of examples of OER good practice in other UK HEIs to be found.
Get involved
Many academics have ambitions to write textbooks, either for module or programme needs, or to provide wider ‘reach’ across their teaching and learning disciplines. Writing and publishing as an OER, rather than as a textbook can provide that ‘reach’ without ceding control of your teaching and learning ideas. If you feel you can help with this initiative, we are looking for staff and students to act as contacts and advocates. Perhaps you can (with Library support) be an OER Champion in your school. If you are part of an academic network, might OER publishing be a key interest? Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
