Content-Based Open Educational Resources
This section of the OER list contains content, or subject-area-based resources. Each of these resources contains specific information about permissions for use. Most can be used in a non-profit, educational setting, but each resource will generally contain details regarding usage.
In MERLOT, you can search peer-reviewed online teaching and learning materials. You can also publish your own content online and offer it to other faculty at institutions throughout the nation and around the world.
Connexions allows faculty to find individual chunks of content - again entirely online - that are known as modules. These modules can then be assembled within online and hybrid courses. Faculty can also create and share their own modules in a variety of content areas and receive recognition for their work. Note: some of these modules are not modules in a typical sense, they are what we would term "learning objects." For example, a module could be several activities with background research and pdf documents, or it could be a single article.
This site houses free video courses from Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale. It includes a wide range of content areas, and offers each single course lecture as a separate video file. For example, a course on Dante's Inferno includes 23 lecture videos of varying lengths between 20 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes. These are primarily lecture capture. They do not represent best practices in online pedagogy, but they do provide a resources for specific subject areas that may be integrated into online courses.
Flat World Knowledge is a resource for Open Textbooks - free online texts available via the internet. Faculty can request a print copy for review. Also available are instructor manuals, test banks, lecture slides, and sometimes videos. The selection is somewhat limited -lots of options in Business & Economics, a few in Social Sciences, a couple in Science, but no Mathematics or English.
DiscoverEd is an experimental project from ccLearn which attempts to provide scalable search and discovery for educational resources on the web. Metadata, including the license and subject information available, are exposed in the result set.>DiscoverEd seems to provide content from a variety of educational institutions and sources at a wide range of levels - college-level to K-12 education. It is more of a search engine for other content providers than a centralized repository like MERLOT or Connexions.
OER content is made free to use or share, and in some cases, to change and share again, via licensing. Includes college-level course materials, and also K-12 content. An "advanced search" option allows you to search by level, subject area, and keyword. This search also includes Connexions, so some resources housed there will be included in these results.
Searching revealed extensive results for a variety of content areas, including Open Textbooks not encountered elsewhere.
Curriki is an open resource for subject-area content. It is free, searchable, and across all educational levels (K-12, college, beyond.) The resources are everything from single lessons with PDF files to narrated PowerPoints to lessons with fully integrated video and audio.
The RLO-CETL is the Centre for Excellence for the design, development and use of learning objects. The partner institutions are London Metropolitan University, the University of Cambridge and the University of Nottingham.
The CETL develops, shares and evaluates learning objects and leads on innovation in pedagogical design.
Technology Tools or Software-Based Open Educational Resources
This section of the OER List contains technology-based resources - including free software, open source software, and other technology tools. These are considered OER when used in a non-profit, educational sense. Be sure to check the individual resource for specific permissions.
What is it?
Vokis are simple avatars. Avatars are character representations in an online environment. They can be customized and can have voice and action added to them.
What are they best used for?
Avatars are a great way to humanize a course. A faculty member can actually record their avatar with their own voice. Additionally, thematic avatars can be created – for example talking fish or dragons.
What is it?
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet from their home computers. Calls to other users of the service and, in some countries, to free-of-charge. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer and live video conferencing.
What is it best used for?
Best for personal student assistance, student-to-student contact, and tutoring sessions.
What is it?
Audacity is a free audio editor that can be used in podcasting. Podcasting refers to a collection of digital media files which can be either audio or video that are downloadable from the web. They are generally episodic in nature. There are several ways to use podcasts. The logo above refers to an RSS feed. An RSS feed will allow you to set up your computer to automatically get updates from the podcast without searching for it every time you want new information.
What is it best used for?
Podcasts are a wonderful tool in educational settings. They can be downloaded automatically via RSS feed, and can be accessed via the internet. Podcasts would be appropriate for audio instructions or lecture, video demonstrations that are released in a linear way, and dissemination of other information that is parceled out and updated.
What is it?
Jing is a software that allows recording of exactly what the instructor sees on their computer screen. PowerPoint presentations, websites, etc. The screenshots can have text boxes, arrows, highlights, and rectangles added for emphasis and clarity. You can then share your creation almScreeost instantly. Presentations are limited to 5 minutes – an ideal time restriction for online presentations. Multiple presentations on diverse topics can be made.
What is it best used for?
This is best used to explain more complex concepts, marry presentations from multiple sources together (ex: Word or PDF documents with PowerPoint, website display, etc.) The video capture does not allow editing like Camtasia Studio, wherein instructors can integrate feedback into the presentation.
Prezi is a technology tool for creating presentations that visually map, zoom in, and display relationships rather than a static slide show. It has a free basic edition, with low cost editions with further services attached.
Evernote is a note service that has wide educational implications. You can snap a photo of a part of a web page, or from your phone an actual photo. You can write your own text notes. You can organize these clips via tagging as well as automatic filing which Evernote will do for you. The options are wide for educational use - have students collect images related to a topic, create study notes. Compatible with phones too!
udutu allows you to author online courses using templates with ease. It can be exported to other LMSs and is SCORM 2204 and 1.2 compliant. It's also free!
Free blogging website with tools and themes. Widgets can be added and moved.
Gimp is a free piece of software for simple editing and retouching, if you don't need the full Photoshop-type software.
Format Factory is an easy way to convert media from one format to another. It's free and usable.
Create free educational timelines and share them electronically via the web.
Slideshare allows you to upload and share PowerPoint presentations as well as documents – Word or PDF formats. You can also add audio. You can also use your SlideShare to add widgets to your blogs or websites. This is a great tool for sharing your presentations, but also for finding presentations from respected colleagues or institutions, or from conferences or events that you missed. Signing up is free. It is web-based, so it does not require a download.
80 items | 156 visits
This list is primarily a compilation of Open Educational Resources (OER), that are content-based, or for subject-area content. There are many additional sites that have free technology-based Open Educational Resources, such as free software and/or open source software that is free to be used in a...
Updated on Sep 02, 15
Created on Jan 04, 10
Category: Schools & Education
URL:
on Jul 01, 14
