What is OER?

OER (Open Educational Resources) are materials for teaching or learning that are either in the public domain or have been released under a license that allows them to be freely used, changed, or shared with others.

OER can take many forms: syllabi, lesson plans, videos, software, tests, teaching techniques, group activities, writing prompts, textbooks, learning modules, lecture slides, lab manuals, experiments, simulations, and course designs. There are no platform constraints. They can exist in a digital or print format.

OER can either exist in the public domain or be licensed for reuse under a relaxed intellectual property (IP) license, such as a Creative Commons.

OER can be revised, remixed, added upon, translated, and then shared again to meet different needs.

What is the cost?

In most cases the materials are provided free of cost or extremely minimal to the student which helps in fulfilling the college's mission to provide an affordable and accessible education to our community.

Total estimated OER savings since Spring 2019: $930,000+

Is OpenOTC compliant with DMCA and other copyright laws?

Instructors are using materials that are available with different permissions. Please see the Creative Commons page for FAQ’s and refer to your instructor for specific permissions.