Below are some helpful tips to start adopting OER for your classroom. Adoption is the fastest solution toward eliminating textbooks and other course materials in your classroom because OER materials are used "as is".
Set aside time
Searching for these materials takes time and persistence, just like research! As you begin, also consider possible sources of funding for your efforts at CMU.
Take a look to see if someone else has created a similar, complete OER course or textbook.
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Browse repositories and more
Browse our listing of OER courses, repositories, multimedia, textbooks, articles and more.
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Google Advanced Search
Find existing open resources for instructional use by using Advanced Search techniques.
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Browse Tomlinson Library
Look for library materials like ebooks, articles and streaming videos to fill in gaps. Visit the Tomlinson Library's website to search our collection.
Focus on your learning objectives
Instead of focusing on the textbook that you would like to replace, focus on what you would like students to know or be able to do. You will likely need to search for several materials to address different topics or components of your complete class.
Example: instead of searching for “biology” materials, search for “cell structure” or “DNA” or “evolution” materials.
Consider adapting or creating your own OER
If you're unable to find OER that suit your instructional needs, learn how to adapt or create your own.