What are OERs?
Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational or teaching and learning materials that are published free of charge under an open license and, depending on the license selected, are freely accessible and reusable. These can include guides, textbooks, videos, podcasts, lecture notes, photos, or even entire Moodle courses.
Open licenses govern how flexibly users may reuse the material. The rights of use are clearly defined by the most widely used type of open-content license, the Creative Commons licenses (see also the UNESCO definition).
The University of Siegen is setting another milestone with the announcement of its OER policy. This policy underscores the university’s commitment to promoting open educational resources and free access to teaching and learning materials.
Full text of the University of Siegen’s OER Policy
Benefits of OER
Fundamentally, OER are shaped by the concept of “openness”—an understanding of education as an open, participatory process that takes place across institutions of higher education and creates opportunities to improve the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of teaching and learning opportunities.
They also promote lifelong learning, cooperation, and exchange; the development of innovative teaching and learning concepts in light of an increasingly digital world; and the visibility and appeal of higher education institutions. Furthermore, the reuse of existing teaching and learning materials enhances their sustainability and can free up time for instructors.
- OERinfo | Open Educational Resources Information Center
- OER Strategy | The OER Homepage of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
- Here you will find all the information regarding the measures outlined in the OER Strategy. What is the background and history of the OER Strategy, and how were the measures derived from it? And most importantly: What are the goals and objectives of these measures?
- OER FAQ | Questions and Answers About OER
- Was-ist-OER.de | Find free teaching materials,
use them in a legally compliant manner, create your own, and share them - OER – Resources for Everyone from bpb
- Mapping OER
- Open Educational Resources from e-teaching.org
OER and Practical Guides:
- Online self-paced course “Introduction to OER” by Nele Hirsch (5 independent learning units on an online platform)
- Introduction to Open Educational Resources at Ruhr University Bochum (Moodle course with a total duration of 120–160 minutes)
- Legal Information ORCA.nrw - FAQs on Copyright Law, Data Protection Law, and Trademark Law
- Information on Copyright from Department 3 | Legal Affairs Office
- Legal Questions Regarding Digitization in Teaching
- OER, OpenContent, and Copyright
- Combining, Editing, and Remixing OER. Using OER Correctly
- OER Law
- Guide to Legal Issues
- Small Tools, Big Help: Creating and Using License Information for OER
Online OER Consultation Hour
Do you have questions about OER? Are you planning an OER project? Would you like to share your worksheets or post your slides online so they’re freely accessible, reusable, and legally compliant? Do you need open-access audio and visual materials for your instructional videos? We’d be happy to advise you during our online OER CONSULTATION HOUR!
When is the consultation hour?
Every Thursday, online from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Who is the consultation hour for?
All members of the University of Siegen who are involved with OER