Open Educational Resources

Collections

Begin your searching for an open educational resources in these two collections of peer-reviewed textbooks.  These collections are curated by OER experts, and well organized.  Should you not find what you are looking for in one of these, try another search using an OER search engine.

OpenStax

OpenStax is a nonprofit initiative of Rice University whose mission is to minimize the most common barriers to education.  Funded by philanthropic organizations, OpenStax publishes peer reviewed textbooks with high production value at no cost to end users. Two OU faculty members are lead authors of OpenStax textbooks: 

• Introductory Business Statistics, Alexander Holmes, Ph.D., Regent's Professor
• American Government, Glen Krutz, Ph.D., Vice Provost

Open Textbook Library

The Open Textbook Library is a collection curated by the Open Textbook Network.  Its criteria for inclusion distinguish it from other OER collections.  OER experts; librarians, faculty, and others with vested interests in higher education may nominate resources to be included in the collection if they meet the following criteria:

• Has an open license that permits derivative works
• Is a complete work published as a portable file
• Is currently in use at multiple higher education institutions ( a mechanism of peer review )
• Is an original work

Five OU-produced works are in the Open Textbook Library:

• AC Circuits, Chad Davis, Ph.D., Instructor and Recruitment Coordinator
• DC Circuits, Chad Davis, Ph.D., Instructor and Recruitment Coordinator
• Introductory Business Statistics, Alexander Holmes, Ph.D., Regent's Professor
• American Government, Glen Krutz, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives
• Antología Abierta De Literatura Hispana, Julie Ward, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Search Engines

These two OER search engines query a combined total of more than 70 OER collections. They return not only full texts, but videos, images, and other fragments that can be combined to supplement or form whole OER.  Searching for OER can be difficult.  Use these state of the art tools to help find your way.

Mason OER Metafinder (MOM)

SUNY Openly Available Sources Integrated Search (OASIS)

Expert Consultation

Should you like OU Libraries' Open Education Coordinator to perform an OER search for you, please fill out this form.  Results will be sent to you promptly.  Bear in mind that each spring OU Libraries opens applications for the Alternative Textbook Grant that funds the effort of OU faculty to adopt OER and reduce what their students spend on course materials.