As a follow up to our CTL conversation last week, we would like to share links to various Open Educational Resources. Our conversation introduced some common OER repositories (below) and we discussed ways that faculty can integrate OERs into their course. We also talked about barriers to using and developing OERs; the most common barrier to use is the time consuming process of looking for and vetting these resources for use in class. We also talked about another common issue: sustainability. Many OERs are developed by faculty with little institutional support (sometimes with a bit of grant money) and this makes OERs difficult to maintain, update, and share. These barriers aside, many faculty members have successfully used OERs to support various aspects of their classes and so we would recommend exploring the links below!
Feel free to contact the CTL Staff if you would like to know more!
OER Background Information:
- “Open Education Resources > Home” from the CUNY Office of Library Services
- “7 Things You Should Know about OERs” from the Educause Learning Initiative
The CTL has developed the following resources:
- OER Directory: a comprehensive list of OER sites, sorted by keyword/topic
- OERs for Specific Courses: a list of OERs organized by course offering (These are examples. If you would like the CTL to prepare a listing for your course or discipline, please contact us.)
Baruch Resources:
- CUNY Academic Works: a repository of publications by Baruch Faculty
- Baruch College Archives and Special Collections: collects and preserves records that document the history, mission, and daily functioning of Baruch College, as well as materials pertaining to people, activities and events associated with the College.
- Newman Library Research Guides: faculty developed resources, organized by subject
- Newman Library Faculty Resources: a guide to library services for faculty
Commonly used OER portals:
Other exciting OERs (more in the OER directory, above):
- Omeka: a free, open-source publishing platform for the display of library and museum collections, archives, and scholarly collections or exhibition
- OpenCulture: free cultural & educational media; includes various lectures on a variety of Shakespeare plays, half-hour lectures on works in the Western canon, and a variety of video resources
- SmartHistory: collection of videos and essays on art and cultural heritage; designed to be engaging and conversational and cover art that ranges from the paleolithic to the present
- Saylor Academy: resources for full college and professional courses