Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research materials that you can access, use, modify, and share completely free of charge.
These resources include digital textbooks, lesson plans, videos, assessments, and interactive software designed to help you in the classroom.
Free and Legally Accessible
OER cost nothing to access or use.
You don’t need to worry about copyright restrictions or licensing fees when you use these materials in your lessons.
Open educational resources are created and licensed to be free for you to own, share, and modify.
You can adapt a science worksheet for your Year 4 class or translate reading materials into different languages.
Openly Licensed for Flexibility
OER materials use special open licences that respect intellectual property rights but give you permission to access, reuse, adapt, and share educational materials.
Creative Commons licences are the most common type you’ll see.
Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole, says, “OER gives teachers the freedom to tailor materials to their specific classroom needs.”
Built for Sharing and Collaboration
OER encourages you to share improvements with educators around the world.
When you enhance a maths activity or create extra exercises, you can give back to the global teaching community.
Digital Textbooks and Reading Materials
You’ll find textbooks on subjects from primary maths to A-level sciences.
Many of these resources match the quality and depth of commercial materials.
Popular formats include:
Multimedia Learning Resources
Video lessons, audio recordings, and interactive simulations make up a large part of OER.
You can access educational videos, virtual experiments, and interactive maps.
Assessment and Activity Materials
OER includes assessment tools such as quizzes, rubrics, and project templates.
You’ll also find worksheets, lesson plans, and activity guides that you can adapt for different groups.
Software and Digital Tools
Educational software, learning management systems, and mobile apps are now available as OER.
Many of these tools offer the same features as paid commercial options.
Early Foundations (1990s-2000s)
The concept started with the internet’s growth in education.
Universities began sharing course materials online to help learners everywhere.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology launched OpenCourseWare in 2001.
MIT made course materials from over 2,000 classes freely available online.
International Recognition and Standards
UNESCO adopted the first international instrument for openly licensed educational materials in November 2019.
The Recommendation on OER set global guidelines for creating and sharing these resources.
UNESCO created the OER Dynamic Coalition to help countries build capacity and develop supportive policies.
Modern Growth and Technology Integration
Today, AI and new technologies help create, adapt, and share educational materials.
Machine learning matches resources to curriculum needs, while collaborative platforms allow real-time teacher contributions.
Digital libraries like OER Commons now host millions of resources.
You can search by subject, year group, and educational standard.
Open licensing gives educators legal frameworks for how open educational resources can be used, changed, and shared.
The copyright status of materials—whether public domain, Creative Commons, or traditional copyright—directly affects your ability to adapt and share resources.
Creative Commons licenses work with copyright law to let creators set clear permissions for their materials.
These licences use four main elements you’ll see when searching for OER.
The Four Creative Commons Elements:
Michelle Connolly says, “Understanding Creative Commons licensing saves teachers valuable time when selecting resources, as you know immediately what you can legally do with the materials.”
There are six main Creative Commons licence combinations, from CC-BY (most open) to CC-BY-NC-ND (most restrictive).
Materials with “No Derivatives” clauses don’t qualify as true OER because you cannot adapt them.
Public domain materials are the most open educational resources.
You have complete freedom to use, change, and share them.
These materials have no copyright restrictions.
Materials enter the public domain when copyright expires, creators release their work, or governments publish materials as public.
For educators, this means you can modify, combine, and share resources without limits.
Key Benefits of Public Domain Resources:
For example, you might find a public domain science diagram for your Year 5 lesson.
You can update it, add your school logo, and even sell your adapted version if you want.
No-cost access (OA) forms the base of open educational resources.
“Free” means more than no price; it includes legal permissions.
True openness is free access plus permissions.
Redistribute permission lets you share your original, revised, or remixed OER with the broader educational community.
You can publish modified materials for other teachers to find and use.
This sharing builds a collaborative educational ecosystem.
When you improve an OER resource, you allow other educators to benefit from your enhancements by redistributing it.
Distribution methods include:
The redistribute permission enables the OER cycle.
Teachers help materials improve by sharing their adaptations and innovations with the community.
You must respect the original licence terms when you redistribute resources.
Some Creative Commons licences require you to keep the same licence type for any derivative works.
Open textbooks offer free, legally accessible educational content.
You can use, modify, and share these resources in your classroom.
These resources reduce costs for students.
They also give flexibility for educators to adapt materials to specific teaching needs.
Open textbooks remove financial barriers that keep students from accessing course materials.
Your students can download, print, or access these resources immediately.
They do not need to wait for bookstore orders or library availability.
Cost savings are a major advantage.
Traditional textbooks can cost £100-300 per subject.
Open educational resources are completely free, so all students have materials from day one.
You gain unprecedented flexibility with open textbooks.
Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole, says: “Open textbooks allow teachers to customise content for their specific classroom needs rather than forcing curriculum around rigid commercial materials.”
Open textbook authors give you permissions to:
Permanent access means your students keep their textbooks forever.
They do not face expensive buybacks or limited rental periods.
Many open textbooks undergo assessment by education experts before publication.
Librarians and faculty review these materials using the same standards as traditional publishers.
Start your search with established repositories that organise materials by subject and education level.
OER Commons provides curated collections organised by discipline, making it easy to find relevant materials.
The Teaching Commons gathers resources from leading universities.
These collections include complete textbooks, course modules, and supplementary materials.
Search strategically with these steps:
Legal studies resources show how specialised subjects benefit from open textbook collections for both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Evaluate quality using these criteria:
Once you select materials, integrate them gradually.
Start with one chapter or unit before using an entire open textbook.
This approach lets you see how well the content fits your teaching style and student needs.
Adaptation tips for effectiveness:
Check licensing requirements before making modifications.
Most open textbooks allow extensive adaptation rights.
Open Educational Resources provide major benefits to students by reducing costs and improving access to quality materials.
They also empower educators with customisable content that can be adapted to meet diverse learning needs.
The financial burden of educational materials creates barriers for students.
Research shows that 7 in 10 students didn’t purchase a textbook because it was too expensive.
One in five college students has skipped classes due to resource costs.
No-cost access to OER removes these financial barriers.
Students can download textbooks, worksheets, and multimedia content without paying fees.
“When learners have immediate access to quality resources, they can focus on learning rather than worrying about costs,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole.
“This removes a significant stress factor that often impacts academic performance.”
Cost savings extend beyond individual purchases.
Educational institutions can redirect budget allocations from expensive textbooks toward other learning support services.
60% of students have delayed purchasing textbooks until receiving financial aid, creating learning gaps that OER can fill immediately.
OER gives educators control over their teaching materials.
You can modify, remix, and customise resources to fit your curriculum.
This capability lets you create targeted materials for different learning abilities within the same classroom.
You might simplify complex concepts for struggling learners while providing extension activities for advanced students using the same resource.
You can update educational materials quickly to reflect current events or new research.
Traditional textbooks often contain outdated information, but OER can be revised immediately.
The ability to customise course materials lets faculty create the “perfect” course packet.
You can combine resources from multiple sources, add your own examples, and structure content to match your teaching style.
Open Educational Resources remove geographical and physical barriers to learning.
Students anywhere can access materials at any time, supporting both classroom and distance education.
Digital formats make content accessible to learners with different needs.
Screen readers can convert text to audio for visually impaired students.
Materials can be enlarged or adjusted for better readability.
The scalability of OER allows resources to reach many learners with minimal extra cost.
This expands access to high-quality educational content regardless of economic or geographic factors.
Multiple format options support different learning preferences.
Visual learners benefit from infographics and diagrams.
Auditory learners can access podcasts or video presentations of the same material.
Universities and colleges across the UK use open educational resources to transform student learning and support knowledge sharing.
These institutions develop programmes to make education more accessible and support both teaching and research.
Many universities now appoint dedicated OER coordinators to help you use open resources in your classrooms.
These programmes recognise faculty OER development in tenure decisions and offer grants for creating original materials.
Institutions like the University of Texas at San Antonio provide funding for educators who develop or adapt OER.
This support removes time barriers that can prevent adoption.
Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole, says: “The support structures universities are building around OER make it much easier for educators to embrace these resources without overwhelming their already busy schedules.”
Your institution may offer training programmes too.
The Open Education Network provides certificates in open education librarianship.
European university alliances develop courses for effective OER use.
Key institutional support includes:
You can use open educational resources in your courses to address cost, relevance, and customisation.
Students spend between £500-£950 annually on textbooks, creating barriers to learning.
Open educational resources let you engage with the 5Rs: remixing, retaining, revising, reusing, and redistributing materials.
This flexibility lets you update case studies with current examples and replace outdated data.
Your research materials also benefit.
Open educational resources in research enable widespread knowledge sharing through freely accessible materials.
Artificial intelligence now helps create OER.
You can use AI tools to proofread materials, generate discussion prompts, create assessments, and find current industry examples.
Your students can access microcredentialing courses that use OER.
These programmes help students develop in-demand skills without high costs.
OERu is one example.
This international network of over 40 universities offers accredited online microcredentials based on open resources.
Students complete free micro Open Online Courses (mOOCs) and pay only assessment fees for university credit.
You can find platforms like OpenStax offering 16 open business textbooks.
The Open Education Network provides over 130 business titles in its Open Textbook Library.
Popular OER programme types:
These programmes help your institution attract new students and ensure that learners develop relevant workplace skills at a lower cost.
You need systematic planning and content preparation to develop effective OER.
Good collaboration means working with other educators to remix existing resources and choosing licences that let others retain, reuse, revise, and redistribute your materials.
Begin by identifying your learning objectives and target audience.
This foundation helps you decide if you are creating research materials, lesson plans, or interactive activities.
“When developing open educational resources, think about sustainability from day one,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole.
“Your resource should work just as well in another teacher’s classroom as it does in yours.”
Content Preparation Checklist:
Focus on making your content portable.
Creating open educational resources means thinking beyond your immediate classroom.
Structure your materials so other teachers can easily adapt them.
Include extension activities for advanced learners and simplified versions for those needing extra support.
Always provide context about how you have used the resource.
This helps other educators understand when and why to use your materials in their own teaching.
Collaboration turns individual teaching resources into comprehensive learning experiences. Work with colleagues to remix existing materials instead of starting from scratch.
Consider these collaborative approaches:
| Method | Benefits | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Subject partnerships | Shared expertise | Cross-curricular projects |
| Year group teams | Age-appropriate content | Scheme planning |
| International collaboration | Cultural perspectives | Global citizenship topics |
Join online communities where educators share and improve resources together. Many teachers create higher quality materials when they develop resources collaboratively.
Set clear agreements about licensing before starting collaborative projects. Decide who can revise the materials and how attribution will work when multiple creators contribute.
Document your collaborative process. This helps future contributors understand how to add value while maintaining the resource’s original purpose and quality.
Choose platforms that fit your sharing goals and technical comfort level. Institutional repositories often provide reliable long-term hosting for your materials.
Popular sharing options include:
Consider your audience when choosing platforms. Primary school teachers might prefer TES Resources, while university lecturers often choose institutional repositories.
Use clear titles and detailed tags to help others find your resources. Include subject area, age range, and curriculum connections in your descriptions.
Upload materials in multiple formats if possible. Provide PDF versions for immediate use and editable formats for others to redistribute adapted versions.
Monitor how others use your resources through platform analytics. This feedback shows what works well and what might need improvement.
To use open educational resources effectively, you need a clear strategy and support. Teachers need practical techniques for adapting materials, and institutions must offer training and resources.
Start with OER by linking to existing materials before trying more complex integration. You can copy and paste content directly from OER sources into your learning management system without breaking licensing rules.
Start with these methods:
Michelle Connolly, an expert in educational technology, says, “The key to successful OER adoption is starting small and building confidence with simple integration before moving to more complex adaptations.”
For reuse and adaptation, you must understand licensing requirements. All Creative Commons materials need proper attribution using the TASL method: Title, Author, Source, and License. Make this information clearly visible wherever you use the content.
Quick attribution checklist:
Think about your students’ access needs when choosing integration methods. Linking out ensures they always see the latest version, while downloading provides a backup if materials disappear online.
You need institutional support and proper training to integrate OER successfully. Most educators need guidance on copyright, licensing, and technical steps before they feel confident using these materials.
Your institution should offer instructional design support for complex integrations. Many learning management systems have tools for importing and embedding OER content, but you might need technical help at first.
Essential support areas include:
Hands-on practice with selecting, adapting, and publishing materials helps teachers understand OER better. Professional development should include practical workshops using real resources.
Your library or educational technology team often serves as the first point of contact for OER support. They can help you find suitable repositories, understand licensing terms, and troubleshoot technical issues.
Many institutions now employ dedicated OER librarians who specialise in helping faculty find and use appropriate materials. These specialists understand both technical and teaching needs.
Check in regularly with colleagues who use similar materials. Sharing experiences can help you solve problems and discover new strategies.
Quality concerns and inadequate funding are major obstacles to widespread OER adoption. Policy frameworks remain underdeveloped at many higher education institutions.
Faculty and students often doubt OER quality. Many view open textbooks as lower quality compared to commercial alternatives.
This belief comes from traditional publishing standards, which focus on professional editing and design. Commercial publishers invest in specialised staff, creating materials that look more polished.
Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole, says, “Open educational resources face unfair quality comparisons when judged purely on aesthetics rather than learning effectiveness. The real measure should be how well they serve students’ learning needs.”
Most OER creators do not have access to professional editors and designers. As a result, their materials may contain valuable content but look less refined than commercial textbooks.
Common Quality Concerns Include:
You can address these challenges by seeking institutional support. Universities should provide editorial and design help for faculty creating OER. Collaborative authoring platforms also enable peer review, which improves quality over time.
OER is free to use but not free to produce and maintain. The initial development costs often discourage universities from supporting OER initiatives.
Faculty need to invest significant time to create high-quality OER. You must consider opportunity costs when academics spend time developing open materials instead of traditional research.
Key Funding Challenges:
| Challenge | Impact | Potential Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Staff time costs | Faculty reluctance | Release time provision |
| Technology infrastructure | Platform limitations | Shared hosting services |
| Ongoing maintenance | Content becomes outdated | Collaborative updating |
| Quality enhancement | Poor user experience | Professional development |
Most higher education institutions do not have dedicated budgets for OER development. Unlike commercial textbooks, where publishers cover production costs, universities must fund the entire process.
The lack of technological tools can make funding pressures worse. Institutions need strong platforms for hosting, updating, and distributing OER.
Sustainable models require long-term commitment from institutional leaders. Advocate for dedicated OER funding in your university’s budget planning.
Unclear institutional policies block OER adoption in higher education. Many universities do not have formal frameworks for open licence adoption or for recognising OER contributions in promotion decisions.
Faculty hesitate to invest time in OER when their institutions do not value this work for tenure. OER activities often do not count toward tenure requirements at most universities.
Critical Policy Gaps:
Higher education institutions often struggle to implement open licences. Faculty need clear guidance on which Creative Commons licences fit different educational contexts.
Advocate for comprehensive OER policies that support both creation and adoption. Successful institutions set up committees to develop frameworks for open educational practices.
Copyright concerns often stop faculty from sharing materials openly. Universities must provide legal guidance and training to address intellectual property rights.
Administrative resistance can appear when OER initiatives threaten commercial partnerships. Bookstore revenue concerns may create conflicts that require careful policy development.
Open educational resources policies set frameworks that promote access to free learning materials worldwide. UNESCO’s 2019 OER Recommendation guides government strategies, and international partnerships help drive adoption in higher education institutions.
The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational Resources was adopted unanimously in November 2019. This marked UNESCO’s first global standard for digital public goods.
The recommendation focuses on five main objectives. These include building stakeholder capacity to create and adapt OER materials. It also encourages supportive policies for open licence use.
UNESCO’s OER Dynamic Coalition works to implement these recommendations worldwide. The coalition brings together government ministries, educational institutions, and cultural organisations.
Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole, says, “UNESCO’s framework provides schools with clear guidance on how to access and adapt quality educational content legally and ethically.”
Key areas the recommendation addresses:
Governments worldwide are creating policies to expand access to open educational resources. These systematic approaches help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 for quality education.
Higher education institutions lead many policy developments. Universities create repositories where faculty share course materials under open licences. This allows other educators to adapt content for their needs.
Policy frameworks often include funding for OER creation. Governments provide grants to develop curriculum-aligned materials. They also set up quality assurance processes to maintain standards.
Common policy elements include:
Many policies require publicly funded educational materials to use open licences. This ensures taxpayer-funded resources remain accessible to all learners.
Global initiatives promote worldwide access to open educational resources through collaborative partnerships. International organisations coordinate efforts between developed and developing nations.
The UNESCO/COL/ICDE Chair in OER advocates for policies among educational institutions globally. This initiative focuses on expanding access in the global South.
Open Education Global connects local efforts to international movements. Their strategic plan promotes sustainable change through open policies.
Cross-border partnerships help institutions share development costs. Universities work together to create multilingual resources for diverse populations.
These collaborations reduce duplication and maintain quality standards. Institutions build networks that amplify local impact through global connections.
They help open educational resources reach learners regardless of geographic or economic barriers.
International collaboration benefits:
Artificial intelligence is changing how educators develop and personalise open educational resources. Adaptive learning technologies create customised educational pathways for individual learners.
OER platforms now support career development and skill acquisition beyond traditional classrooms. People can use these resources throughout their working lives.
Artificial intelligence is transforming how you create and deliver open educational resources. AI-driven tools personalise learning experiences based on individual student needs.
Machine learning algorithms automatically curate high-quality resources. This saves time searching for relevant content.
Key AI Applications in OER:
Michelle Connolly, an expert in educational technology, explains that AI tools help teachers adapt OER materials for their classrooms without needing technical skills.
Blockchain technology helps solve intellectual property concerns that have limited OER sharing. Secure tracking of educational materials and credentials builds trust between creators and users.
Cloud computing platforms make real-time collaboration on resource development possible. You can co-create materials with colleagues worldwide and share expertise across institutions.
Adaptive OER platforms adjust content difficulty based on your students’ performance in real-time. Each learner receives material that matches their level.
Learning management systems now integrate with OER repositories. They track student engagement and suggest improvements.
Personalisation Features You Can Access:
Data analytics show how students interact with materials. This information helps you choose and modify OER resources effectively.
You can customise content for students with special educational needs. Resources automatically adjust text size, reading level, or provide audio alternatives.
OER platforms support professional development and career changes. Adults can access current industry-relevant content without expensive course fees.
Micro-learning modules break complex skills into smaller parts. This format suits busy professionals who need flexible learning options.
Professional Development Applications:
OER curricula now include future-ready skills. Learners gain capabilities needed in changing job markets.
Digital badges and micro-credentials recognise completed learning modules. These achievements stack to show comprehensive skill development.
OER makes learning accessible regardless of location or schedule. Rural communities benefit from this access to quality educational resources.
Teachers often have practical concerns about using open educational resources in their classrooms. Understanding quality standards, legal requirements, and adaptation strategies helps educators make good choices.
Open educational resources save money for both schools and students. You can access high-quality textbooks, worksheets, and multimedia materials without licensing fees.
These resources offer customisation flexibility. You can modify content to fit your curriculum, adjust reading levels, or combine materials from different sources.
“Open educational resources give teachers the freedom to adapt materials precisely to their students’ needs,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole.
The quality of open educational resources improves as more academics contribute peer-reviewed content. Many resources come from established universities and educational institutions.
You can access materials that are regularly updated. OER can be revised and improved by their creators and user communities.
Check the author’s credentials and institutional affiliation. Most OER are written by academics and go through peer review processes.
Look for resources from recognised educational institutions or established OER repositories. University libraries and government education departments often curate high-quality collections.
Review the publication date and update history. Quality OER providers regularly revise their materials.
Test materials with a small group before using them widely. Pilot lessons help you spot any gaps or issues.
Check alignment with your curriculum standards. Many OER providers clearly label which standards their materials address.
Start with one subject area or unit instead of changing your entire curriculum at once. This helps you learn the integration process without feeling overwhelmed.
Map OER materials to your lesson plans and curriculum objectives. Find where these resources can replace or improve your current materials.
Create a review process for evaluating new resources. Use criteria for content accuracy, age-appropriateness, and alignment with learning goals.
Work with colleagues to share discoveries and avoid duplication. Many schools create shared collections of vetted OER materials.
Plan for technical requirements early. Make sure you have the software, hardware, or internet needed to use digital OER.
Allow for modifications. OER licensing allows adaptation, so customise materials for your teaching context.
Yes, OER’s open licensing allows you to modify and adapt materials for different contexts.
You can adjust reading levels to support struggling readers or challenge advanced learners. Simplify text, change vocabulary, or add extra support.
Localise content for your geographic or cultural context. Replace examples, images, or case studies with local alternatives.
Faculty can remix chapters, change images, or alter materials for specific courses or student needs.
Format adaptations support different learning styles. Turn text into visual presentations, audio recordings, or interactive digital formats.
SEN adaptations are easier with OER. You can change font sizes, add visual supports, or restructure content without copyright restrictions.
Choose an open licence for your materials. Creative Commons licences offer options from fully open to more restrictive.
Select a platform or repository for hosting your resources. Many universities, educational organisations, and OER platforms accept contributions.
Ensure your materials meet quality standards before sharing. Include learning objectives, assessment criteria, and usage instructions.
Document your materials with metadata. Add descriptions, subject tags, grade levels, and curriculum alignments to help others find your work.
Consider collaborating with colleagues. Joint authorship can improve quality and share the workload.
Start with materials you’ve already developed and tested. Proven classroom resources often make the most valuable OER contributions.
Learn about different licence types and their restrictions. Some OER require attribution, while others prohibit commercial use or restrict derivative works.
Check the specific licence terms before you use or modify materials. Open licensing allows free access and redistribution, but it may come with certain conditions.
Give proper attribution when required. Include author names, source information, and licence details as listed by the original creator.
Pay attention to images or multimedia elements in materials. These parts may have different copyright rules than the main content.
Clearly document your own contributions when you create derivative works. State what you have added or changed, and apply the right licence to your modifications.
Review your institution’s policies before sharing student work or institutional materials as OER. Some schools have specific rules about intellectual property and sharing.
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