Interested in converting your course to OER?
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Find OER learning materials to use in your course design
These are materials that are within the public domain or have specific Creative Commons Licensing that enables other users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. Scroll down to find our favorite search options for finding OER learning materials.
2
Need some help?
Finding OER Materials can be overwhelming sometimes and we want this to be an enjoyable and smooth process for you. If you want to have a better understanding of OER or you need some guidance on selecting relevant materials, please reach out to Emma Lanners at Emma.Lanners@utahtech.edu
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Organize and integrate your selected materials
Once you have selected the materials you want to use, organize and integrate it into your syllabus in place of the readings from traditional textbooks.
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Teach your course
Once the materials are integrated, then you can teach your course and know that your students appreciate you for helping them save money on textbooks.
Multimedia Databases
Open Museum Digital Collections
Introduction to Pressbooks
Pressbooks is one option we have for you to organize your OER materials. The directory contains books made by other users, so you can see potential formatting options, as well as, possible resources for your own book. When you create a book in Pressbooks, you will have the option to keep the book private or make it public.
Accessing Pressbooks
If you would like to organize your learning materials in Pressbooks:
- Please go to https://uen.pressbooks.pub/.
- Click ‘Sign-in’
- Type in your D-number@utahtech.edu and your UT password.
- Click ‘Institutional Login’
- Search for ‘Utah Tech University’
- Click on it.
After Logging in:
- Click ‘Create a New Book’ from the tool bar at the top of the page.
- Add the title of your book in both the ‘Site Name’ and ‘Book Title’ fields.
- Adjust your privacy settings, choosing whether you’d like your text visible to the public.
- Begin writing or importing content for your book.
You can access your new book any time by logging in to Pressbooks and clicking on ‘My Books’ from the tool bar at the top of the page.
To learn more about creating a book in Pressbooks, please go to the Pressbooks User Guide.
Importing Pressbooks book into Canvas
After creating your Pressbooks book, should you wish to import it into Canvas:
- Go to your Pressbooks dashboard
- Click ‘Export’
- Check the box labeled ‘Common Cartridge with LTI links (Canvas).’
- Click ‘Export Your Book.’
- Open Canvas.
- Click ‘Course.’
- Click ‘Settings.’
- Select ‘Import Course Content.’
- On the content type dropdown menu, select ‘Common Cartridge 1.x package.’
- Go to, ‘Downloaded Cartridge,’
- Click ‘Open.’
- Choose ‘All Content’ or select ‘Specific Content.’
- Click ‘Import.’
Your book should upload into your Canvas Course for you to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a curated list of OER materials that pertain to my course?
Yes. If you are a Utah Tech faculty member, OER Librarian, Emma Lanners will support your OER course conversion by searching, finding, and providing you a list of learning materials to choose from as you work to redesign your course.
What is Creative Commons licensing?
Creative Commons licensing grants the public permission to use creative work in a variety of ways.
The CC BY license, for example, enables users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator.
How can I share my OER course with other UT faculty members?
We are archiving OER courses in Commons. If you would like to share your OER course, contact OER Librarian, Emma Lanners at Emma.Lanners@utahtech.edu. A staff member will create a course shell in our OER archive in Commons for you to import your materials. Your course will be visible to other Utah Tech faculty members to view and use.
How can I share my OER course/materials with others beyond UT campus?
There are many places to open your materials to the world. We recommend using Merlot, but your specific situation might require a different repository. Contact Emma Lanners for more information.
Do I need to qualify under the Title III Grant in order to convert my course to OER?
Not at all! Any faculty member is welcome to convert their course to OER materials and we are available to help you and provide guidance as needed.
Are there stipends available for converting my course to OER?
Unfortunately, all the funds received from the Title III grant are allocated at this time. Additional funds may become available in the future.
Contact
Emma Lanners
Assistant Librarian - Open Educational Resources and Graduate Support
Email: Emma.Lanners@utahtech.edu
Phone: 435-652-7719
Office: HCCLIB 354
Shayne Nielson
Library Paraprofessional - Open Educational Resources
Email: Shayne.Nielson@utahtech.edu
Phone: 435-652-7993
Office: HCCLIB 353