Content Resource Site (OER)
Resources on this page include:
- OER Commons (Open Educational Resources)
- OpenStax
- Annenberg Media
- Creative Commons (CC)
- EdX
- Khan Academy
- LinkedIn Learning
- MERLOT
- MIT Open Courseware
- Photos for Class
- PhET – Interactive Simulations for Science and Math
- TED Talks
- YouTube
- NobelPrize.org
- Community College Consortium for OER
- Rubrics
- The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) for Math Teachers
Check here for OLAT's endorsed list for more OER modules, tools and resources.
1. OER Commons (Open Educational Resources)
Description: OER Commons is a dynamic digital library and educator network. You can explore open education resources and join the network of educators dedicated to curriculum improvement.
Why should faculty use it? Usage rights are clear and the resources are free to students, saving them money on textbooks
How faculty access: OER Commons
Accessibility Statement Link: Check Each OER for accessibility prior to using in a course.
2. OpenStax
Description: Free educational resources through Rice University
Why should faculty use it? Usage rights are clear and the resources are free to students, saving them money on textbooks
How faculty access: OpenStax
Accessibility Statement: Check Each OER for accessibility prior to using in a course.
3. Annenberg Media
Description: Annenberg Learner is a Washington, DC-based multimedia division of the Annenberg Foundation that funds, develops and distributes educational video programs along with coordinated web and print materials to improve teaching methods and subject-matter expertise primarily for K-12 teachers.
Why should faculty use it? Annenberg provides open source learning materials and learning exercises.
How faculty access: Annenberg Learner
Accessibility Statement Link: Be sure all resources used meet Tri-C's accessibility requirements, ie., screen reader accessible, all audio is in text format, etc.
Description: The Open Education program at Creative Commons includes open educational resources (OER) that are licensed for reuse and are pulled from multiple resource locations.
Why should faculty use it? Thanks to CC licenses, learners can find and incorporate free materials for reports and presentations, educators can customize textbooks and lesson plans, universities can distribute video lectures to a global audience, and publishers can adapt materials and develop services for an enhanced learning experience.
How faculty access: Creative Commons
User Guide: Find OER
Accessibility Statement: Be sure all resources used meet Tri-C accessibility requirements, ie. screen reader accessible, all audio is in text format, etc.
5. EdX
Description: Founded by Harvard University and MIT in 2012, EdX is an online learning destination, offering high-quality courses from the world’s best universities and institutions to learners everywhere.
Why should faculty use it?
- To improve personal knowledge.
- Learn new teaching methods.
- To create a flipped classroom (students watch instructional videos at home, and doing their homework in the class)
- Because lessons can be accessed around the globe at any time
- Because videos can supplement lessons for students that learn at a slower pace
- Incorporate EdX materials into your own courses.
- Find reference materials for students.
- Develop curriculum.
Video Introduction: EdX on YouTube.com
How faculty access: EdX
User Guide: How It Works
Accessibility Statement Link: If students are required to use this software in a course an accessibility statement is required to be added to the course’s student resources.
6. Khan Academy
Description: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom.
Why should faculty use it? Great for additional learning resources.
How faculty access: Khan Academy
User Guide: Help Center
Accessibility Statement Link: If students are required to use this software in a course an accessibility statement is required to be added to the course’s student resources.
7. LinkedIn Learning
Description: LinkedIn Learning leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Access to the video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts.
How to access: LinkedIn Learning is accessed through my.tri-c.edu by clicking on the LinkedIn Learning card, or by visiting LinkedIn Learning directly here.
Accessibility Statement Link: If students are required to use this software in a course an accessibility statement is required to be added to the course’s student resources. Section 508 compliance.
Description: MERLOT (The Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and On-Line Teaching) is a collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services contributed and used by an international education community.
Why should faculty use it? Merlot provides learning materials and learning exercises.
Video Introduction: Advanced Material Search
How faculty access: It is available at MERLOT
User Guide: MERLOTPlace
Accessibility Statement Link: If students are required to use this software in a course an accessibility statement is required to be added to the course's student resources.
Description: MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to everyone.
Why should faculty use it?
- To improve personal knowledge.
- Learn new teaching methods.
- To create a flipped classroom (students watch instructional videos at home, and doing their homework in the class)
- Because lessons can be accessed around the globe at any time
- Because videos can supplement lessons for students that learn at a slower pace
- Incorporate MIT OCW materials into your own courses.
- Find reference materials for students.
- Develop curriculum.
- No downloading an app or registering. Materials are on the website ready to be used.
How faculty access software: MITOpenCourseware
Educator Page: Get Started with OCW
Accessibility Statement Link: If students are required to use this software in a course an accessibility statement is required to be added to the course’s student resources.
10. Photos for Class
Description: Photos for class is a service designed to help students and teachers find and cite Creative Commons-licensed images.
How faculty access: Photos for Class
User Guide:
Accessibility Statement Link: N/A, however, make sure all photos have Alt Text added.
11. PhET – Interactive Simulations for Science and Math
Description: Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.
Why should faculty use it?
- PhET sims can help: introduce a new topic, build concepts or skills, reinforce ideas, and provide final review and reflection.
- To replace real equipment including circuits, magnets, pendulums, lenses, masses and springs, ripple tanks, standing wave generators, or even a photoelectric effect apparatus.
- To make science and math fun.
Video Introduction: A Brief Introduction to PhET
How faculty access: PhET Interactive Simulations
User Guide:
Accessibility Statement Link: If students are required to use this software in a course an accessibility statement is required to be added to the course’s student resources.
Description: TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less) that can be watched at any time. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment, and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. TED helps share ideas in communities around the world.
Why should faculty use it?
- Because students are more engaged through visually-stimulating videos and presentations
- Sharing ideas and generating discussions around certain topics
- For inspiration and motivation
- Ted-Ed videos cover various learning objectives and can be used as lessons
- Create the whole lessons around Ted-Ed talks
- Have students give subject specific Ted Talks
How faculty access:
Accessibility Statement: Be sure that all TED Talks used for class include closed captioning.
Description: YouTube is a global video-sharing website.
Why should faculty use it?
- Because it's a free way to make lessons more alive
Because students can upload their own videos to demonstrate understanding - Because lessons can be accessed anywhere, at any time
- Because videos can supplement lessons for students that learn at a slower pace
- To create a flipped classroom (students watch instructional videos at home, and do their homework in the class)
- To enhance a lesson
To create your own YouTube channel with lessons that can be accessed out of the classroom - To create playlists of videos for students
How faculty access: YouTube.com
User Guide:
Accessibility Statement Link: Be sure that all YouTube videos used in the class include closed captioning.
14. NobelPrize.org
Description: You don't have to be a genius to understand the work of the Nobel Laureates. These games and simulations, based on Nobel Prize-awarded achievements, will teach and inspire students while you're having FUN!
Why should faculty use it? Simulations are a great way for students to practice what they are learning.
How faculty access: The Nobel Prize
Accessibility Statement: If students are required to use this software in a course an accessibility statement is required to be added to the course's student resources.
15. Community College Consortium for OER
Description: "Find open and free textbooks that may be suitable for use in community college courses from the list of Subjects provided." These include Art, Math, Music, Psychology, Science, Physics, Education, Chemistry, Computer Science, History, Language and Communications, Economics and many more.
Why should faculty use it? It has free to student textbooks that can be used in courses
How faculty access: Community College Consortium for OER
Accessibility Statement: Check each OER for accessibility prior to use in a course.
16. Rubrics
Description: A rubric helps define what counts in an assignment, for both teachers and students.
Why should faculty use it? Rubrics can teach as well as evaluate. When used as part of a formative, student-centered approach to assessment, rubrics have the potential to help students develop understanding and skill, as well as make dependable judgments about the quality of their own work. Students should be able to use rubrics in many of the same ways that teachers use them—to clarify the standards for a quality performance and to guide ongoing feedback about progress toward those standards.
How faculty access:
- OERs: University of Wisconsin - Rubrics for Assessment
- To create your own in Blackboard: Blackboard Help - Rubrics
17. The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM)for Math Teachers
Description: The NLVM is a digital library that provides K-12 teachers and students with a wide variety of math activities and virtual manipulatives. These resources are arranged into five main categories: Number and Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis and Probability. Though for K-12, there may be many useful activities for our students.
How faculty access: National Library of Virtual Manipulatives