College of DuPage Library

Placeholder
Large-scale initiatives
Info on Z-degrees
OER Pathways

OER Steering Committee (2019-2020)

OER MetaSearch Tools

OER metasearch tools query a variety of OER repositories or, in the case of Google, the open web. Keep your search narrow and, when possible, use search limiters or source selectors for manageable results.

OASIS

OASIS is an integrated search tool that allows cross-searching of 98 collections of open educational materials. Developed by SUNY Geneseo's Milne Library.

Mason Metafinder

Developed by the George Mason University, the Mason Metafinder (MOM) is a federated search tool that simultaneously queries 21 sources of open materials. MOM includes OER and select sources of Open monographs and images. Details on using MOM are here.

Google Advanced Search

OER Commons

Florida Virtual Campus: The Orange Grove

Includes a variety of open resources for higher ed. including suggested texts, video materials, classroom materials, 3-D objects, and more.

Merlot II

Merlot is a user-curated repository of a variety of instructional materials and tools. K-12 through Higher Ed. User rated materials.

Skills Commons

This is a collection of workforce training materials developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor's Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program. Includes courses, texts, learning objects, supplementary course materials, syllabi, sample grant proposals, and more.

References

Allen, G., Guzman-Alverez, A., Molinaro, M., & Larsen, D. (2015, January 27). Assessing the impact and efficacy of the open-access ChemWiki textbook, ELI. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2012). Growing the curriculum: Open education resources in U.S. higher education. Retrieved from http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/growingthecurriculum.pdf

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2014). Opening the curriculum: Open educational resources in U.S. higher education, 2014. Retrieved from https://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/openingthecurriculum2014.pdf

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2016). Opening the textbook: Educational resources in U.S. higher education, 2015-2016. Retrieved from https://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/openingthetextbook2016.pdf

Andrade, A., Ehlers, U., Caine, A., Carneiro, R., Conole, G., Kairamo, A., & Holmberg, C. (2011). Beyond OER: Shifting focus to open educational practices. Retrieved from http://www.oerup.eu/

Bissell, A. N. (2009). Permission granted: Open licensing for educational resources. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 24(1), 97-106. doi:10.1080/02680510802627886

Bliss, T., Hilton, J., III, Wiley, D., & Thanos, K. (2013a). The cost and quality of online open textbooks: Perceptions of community college faculty and students. First Monday, 18(1). Retrieved from https://firstmonday.org/

Bliss, T., Robinson, T. J., Hilton, J., & Wiley, D. (2013b). An OER COUP: College teacher and student perceptions of open educational resources. Journal of Interactive Media in Education. 17(1), 1-25. doi:10.5334/2013-04

Bowen, W. G., Chingos, M. M., Lack, K. A., & Nygren, T. I. (2014). Interactive learning online at public universities: Evidence from a six-campus randomized trial. Journal of Policy Analysis & Management, 33(1), 94-111. doi:10.1002/pam.21728

Buczynski, A. (2007). Faculty begin to replace textbooks with "freely" accessible online resources. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 11(4), 169-179. doi:10.1300/J136v11n04_11

Carey, T., Davis, A., Ferreras, S., & Porter, D. (2015). Using open educational practices to support institutional strategic excellence in teaching, learning & scholarship. Open Praxis, 7(2), 161-171. doi:10.5944/openpraxis.7.2.201

Chae, B., & Jenkins, M. (2015). A qualitative investigation of faculty open educational resource usage in the Washington community and technical college system: Models for support and implementation. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/dERBtX

Clinton, Virginia. (2018). Savings without sacrifice: A case report on open-source textbook adoption. Open Learning. 33. 177-189. DOI: 10.1080/02680513.2018.1486184

Clements, K. I., & Pawlowski, J. M. (2011). User-oriented quality for OER: Understanding teachers' views on re-use, quality, and trust. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28(1), 10. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00450.x

Colvard, N. B., & Watson, C. E. (2018). The impact of open educational resources on various student success metrics. The International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 30(2). 262-275. Retrieved from:http://www.isetl.org

D’Antoni, S. (2009). Open educational resources: Reviewing initiatives and issues. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 24(1), 3-10. doi:10.1080/02680510802625443

de los Arcos, B., Farrow, R., Perryman, L. A., Pitt, R., & Weller, M. (2014). OER evidence report 2013-2014. Retrieved from https://oerresearchhub.files.wordpress.com/

Delimont, N., Turtle, E. C., Bennett, A., Adhikari, K., & Lindshield, B. L. (2016). University students and faculty have positive perceptions of open/ alternative resources and their utilization in a textbook replacement initiative. Research in Learning Technology, 24(1), 1-13. doi:10.3402/rlt.v24.29920

DeNoyelles, A., Raible, J., & Seilhamer, R. (2017). Exploring the use of e-textbooks in higher education: A multiyear study. Educause Review Online. Retrieved from http://er.educause.edu/

Feldstein, A., Martin, M., Hudson, A., Warren, K., Hilton, J., III, & Wiley, D. (2012). Open textbooks and increased student access and outcomes. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from
http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2012/Feldsteint_et_al.pdf

Fischer, L., Hilton, J., III, Robinson, T. J., & Wiley, D. A. (2015). A multi-institutional study of the impact of open textbook adoption on the learning outcomes of post-secondary students. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 27(3), 159-172. doi:10.1007/s12528-015-9101-x

Griffiths, R., Gardner, S., Lundh, P., Shear, L., Ball, A., Mislevy, J.,. . .& Staisloff, R. (2018). Participant experiences and financial impacts: Findings from year two of Achieving the Dream's OER degree initiative. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. Retrieved from https://www.achievingthedream.org

Griffiths, R., Mislevy, J., Wang, S., Mitchell, N., Bloom, M. Staisloff, R., & Desrochers, D. (2017). Launching OER degree pathways: An early snapshot of Achieving the Dream's OER degree initiative and emerging lessons. Menlo Park, CA. SRI International. Retrieved from https://www.sri.com

Grimaldi, P.J. , Basu Mallick D., Waters, A.E., Baraniuk, R.G. (2019). Do open educational resources improve student learning? Implications of the access hypothesis. PLOS ONE 14(3): e0212508. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212508

Gurung, R. A. R. (2017). Predicting learning: Comparing an open educational resource and standard textbooks. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 3(3), 233–248. PsychArticles

Harley, D., Lawrence, S., Acord, S. K., & Dixson, J. (2010). Affordable and open textbooks: An exploratory study of faculty attitudes. Research and Occasional Papers Series, 1 (January), 1-27. Retrieved from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1t8244nb

Hess, J. I., Nann, A. J., & Riddle, K. E. (2016). Navigating OER: The library’s role in bringing OER to campus. Serials Librarian, 70(1-4), 128-134. doi:10.1080/0361526X.2016.1153326

Hewlett Foundation. (2015). Open educational resources. Retrieved from http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/open-educational-resources

Hilton, J. (2016). Open educational resources and college textbook choices: A review of research on efficacy and perceptions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(4), 573-590. doi:10.1007/s11423-016-9434-9

Hilton, J., & Laman, C. (2012). One college’s use of an open psychology textbook. Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 27(3), 201-217. doi:10.1080/02680513.2012.716657

Hilton, J., & Wiley, D. A. (2010). The creation and use of open educational resources in Christian higher education. Christian Higher Education, 9(1), 49-59. doi:10.1080/15363750903181906

Jensen, K. & Nackerud, S. (Eds.) The evolution of affordable content in the higher education environment: Programs, case studies, and examples. http://open.lib.umn.edu/affordablecontent/

Johnstone, S. M. (2005). Open educational resources serve the world. Educause Quarterly, (3), 15-18. Retrieved from http://er.educause.edu/

Lawrence, C.N. & Lester, J.A. (2018) Evaluating the effectiveness of adopting open educational resources in an introductory American government course. Journal of Political Science Education, 14:4, 555-566, DOI: 10.1080/15512169.2017.1422739

Lovett, M., Meyer, O., & Thille C. (2008). JIME – The open learning initiative: Measuring the effectiveness of the OLI statistics course in accelerating student learning. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2008(1), p.Art.13. doi:http://doi.org/10.5334/2008-14

Lumina Foundation. (2015). A benchmark for making college affordable: The rule of 10. Retrieved from https://www.luminafoundation.org/

Nyland, R. (2018). The infrastructure of openness: Results from a multi-institutional survey on OER platforms. The International Journal of Open Educational Resources. 1(1), Fall 2018/Winter 2019. Retrieved from https://www.ijoer.org

Moody, M., Alkhaledi, S., Weinmann, C., Steppe, K. M., & Emery, J. (2015). Reducing student costs: A report on textbooks and course materials. Retrieved from http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu

Murphy, A. (2013). Open educational practices in higher education: Institutional adoption and challenges. Distance Education, 34(2), 201-217. doi:10.1080/01587919.2013.793641

Parisky, A., & Boulay, R. (2013). Designing and developing open education resources in higher education: A molecular biology project. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge & Society, 9(2), 145-155. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4129946/

Pawlyshyn, N., Casper, L, & Miller, H. (2013). Adopting OER: A case study of cross-institutional collaboration and innovation. Educause Review Online. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/

Pitt, R., Ebrahimi, N., McAndrew, P., & Coughlan, T. (2013). Assessing OER impact across organizations and learners: Experiences from the bridge to success project. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2013(3), p.Art. 17. doi:http://doi.org/10.5334/2013-17

Porter, W. W., & Graham, C. R. (2016). Institutional drivers and barriers to faculty adoption of blended learning in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(4), 748-762. doi:10.1111/bjet.12269

Robinson, T. J., Fischer, L., Wiley, D., & Hilton, J. (2014). The impact of open textbooks on secondary science learning outcomes. Educational Researcher, 43(7), 341-351. doi:10.3102/0013189x14550275

Rolfe, V. (2012). Open educational resources: Staff attitudes and awareness. Research in Learning Technology, 20 (1). doi:10.3402/rlt.v20i0/14395

Salem, J. A. (2017). Open pathways to student success: Academic library partnerships for open educational resources and affordable course content creation and adoption. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 43(1), 34-38. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2016.10.003

Seaman, J.E. & Seaman, J. (2018). Freeing the textbook: Educational resources in U.S. Higher Education, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/freeingthetextbook2018.pdf

Seaman, J. E. & Seaman, J. (2017). Opening the textbook: Educational resources in U.S. higher education, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/openingthetextbook2017.pdf

Senack, E. (2014). Affordable textbooks: A policy guide. Washington, DC: U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Student PIRGs. Retrieved from http://www.studentpirgs.org/

Senack, E. (2015). Open textbooks: The billion-dollar solution. Washington, DC: U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Student PIRGs. Retrieved from http://www.studentpirgs.org/

Skinner, D., & Howes, B. (2013). The required textbook: Friend or foe? Dealing with the dilemma. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 10(2), 133-141. doi:10.19030/tlc.v10i2.7753

Vitez, K. (2018). Open101: An action plan for affordable textbooks. Washington, DC: U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Student PIRGs. Retrieved from http://www.studentpirgs.org/

Walz, A. R. (2015). Open and editable: Exploring library engagement in open educational resource adoption, adaptation and authoring. Virginia Libraries, 61(1), 23-31.Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED557205

Wiley, D. (2006). Open source, openness, and higher education. Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 3(1), p.Art. 1. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu/

Wiley, D., Hilton, J. L., III, Ellington, S., & Hall, T. (2012). A preliminary examination of the cost savings and learning impacts of using open textbooks in middle and high school science classes. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(3), 262-276. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1153/2256

Wiley, D., Williams, L., DeMarte, D., & Hilton, J. (2016). The Tidewater Z-degree and the INTRO model for sustaining OER adoption. Educational Policy Analysis Archives, 24(41). doi:10.14507/epaa.24.1828

Young, J. (July 9, 2015). In students' minds, textbooks are increasingly optional purchases. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/

COD Research

Cote, D. (2017) Examining community college faculty attitudes toward open educational resources: A mixed methods study. (Doctoral Dissertation, Nothern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL) Retrieved from http://dc.cod.edu/librarypub/24/

Cote, D. (July 3, 2017). Examining community college faculty attitudes toward open educational resources: A mixed methods study. Dissertation defense. https://youtu.be/pRn2Pn0gPwM

Licensing

Public Domain
Copyright
Creative Commons [Research shows a relationship between knowledge of the CC and knowledge of OER.]

For Adopters

OER Finding and Adopting Guide for Faculty
BC Campus 6-Step guide to adapting an open textbook.

For Creators

How-to create OER
Digital Commons dc.cod.edu

FAQ's

What about ancillaries?

Who keeps the information in my OER textbook up-to-date?

I'm concerned about students not having adequate access to technology and to the Internet in general. How can I help students be successful with my open textbook?

What are OER?

Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.

--Hewlett Foundation, 2019

Open vs. Free

We often confuse free sources with Open resources. A resource might be freely available via the Internet but, more often than not, its use is protected by copyright law. As noted in the definition above, OER is licensed to permit free use and repurposing; these permissions are typically denoted by a Creative Commons license. There is a proven connection between awareness of the Creative Commons and awareness of OER (Cote, 2017; Seaman & Seaman, 2018). Learn about the Creative Commons on the Using OER page.

Getting Started Readings

These brief readings do a great job of summarizing the basics of OER. Check out the Learn about OER and the Research pages for detailed info!

Defining the Open in OER

The five R's of OER are: Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, and Redistribute. These attributes are described in this excellent brief summary document along with information on legal requirements and technical choices we can make to facilitate wider use of OER.

OER Myth Busting

SPARC is an excellent resource for information about open education and scholarship. This myth busting document details the seven top myths about OER.

codlrc.org/OER/News

Blog posts on this page. (3 posts max) [tag:OER]
Link to blog for older posts

This site is a starting point for faculty to learn about OER and to assist in finding appropriate open materials for use in courses at COD. Contact Denise Cote to learn more about OER or for help finding open resources.

We need help building this site. Please submit your suggestions here or send via email.

What are OER?

Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.
— Hewlett Foundation, 2019

Organizations

Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER)

The CCCOER provides an abundance of excellent resources and services to Community Colleges. (COD is a member!) The organization does frequent web-based workshops that are archived on the site, provides case studies, links to resources for individual faculty, librarians, and institutions.

CARLI OER Taskforce

The Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois has partnered with the Open Textbook Network to provide training and resources for librarians employed by member libraries.

An ongoing survey of ALP English students' perceptions of cheating.

Responses were collected from 38 students in 5 sections of ALP English, Fall 2017.

1. Have you ever been tempted to cheat on a test, homework or other school assignment? Y=68%
2. Would you cheat if you knew you wouldn’t get caught? Y=61%
3. Is it acceptable to cheat on something small like a pop quiz or a group assignment? Y=32%
4. Do you think it is more acceptable to cheat on a test in a topic you don’t care about? Y=24%
5. Would you report someone for cheating? Y=11%
6. Which of the following is cheating (Check all that apply):
• a. A friend lets you copy their homework because you left yours at home. Y=63%
• b. A friend in the class before yours tells you what’s going to be on the test. Y=34%
• c. You hand in a paper you wrote for a different class. Y=24%
• d. A friend gives you a copy of last year’s final exam answers, which turns out to be the same exam. Y=71%
• e.You have an open-book test and use a friend’s notes. Y=24%
• f. You find a paper on a similar topic online and use a few sentences verbatim. Y=76%
7. Have you ever cheated on something personal (like a diet, exercise regimen, crossword puzzle or your budget)? Y=82%
• Did you win?

Horticulture Business Management

Developing a business plan

Conduct a feasibility study to begin developing a plan for a new business. Your study will help you forecast the potential for success of the business. This study will become part of your business plan which you will use to justify your proposal to lenders.

Spring Hort 1130 Feasibility Assignment & Template (also available on BlackBoard)

Schedule a time to meet with Denise for help with this project--online or by phone.

A basic business plan includes the following elements (.pdf from Gale Business: Entrepreneurship).
[Library Resources to use for each element].

Name and Type of Business* [Gale, IBIS World]
Description of Product/Service* [IBIS World]
Business History & Development*
Location* [Reference USA]
Market Analysis* [Mintel]
Competition* [Reference USA]
Management* [Gale]
Financial Information
Business Strengths & Weaknesses
Business Growth

Example Business Plans

These business plans and many more are available in the Gale Business: Entrepreneurship, below. These plans are from real U.S. companies.
Landscaping Service: G & D Landscaping
Florist: The Perfect Bloom, Inc.
Nursery: Wonderland Nursery
Organic Grower & Supplier (hydroponic nursery): Great Lakes Organics

Information Resources

Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO)

This very useful collection of publications and guides will help you develop a small business plan and provides information on business in Illinois. Especially helpful: Step-by-Step Business Plan Workbook

IBIS World

Reports on industries. Provides an overview of industries. Includes a definition, the industry supply chain, main activities, and similar/related industries. Also includes helpful details like jargon used in the industry and a glossary. Example IBIS report on the landscaping industry. Here's a general tutorial on using IBIS World: https://youtu.be/BabVB6UytOY

Mintel

Mintel provides market intelligence reports for a broad range of industries and consumer product categories. Some reports on the cannabis industry are available.

Gale Business: Entrepreneurship

This database will guide you to information on all of the major considerations you must make when considering starting a business: Planning, Funding, Starting, and Managing. It provides sample plans from real U.S. businesses, market analysis information, news articles, encyclopedias, directories and more.

SBDC Net

This site is the national information clearinghouse of the U.S. Small Business Administration and state agencies that are part of the SBA network. Includes information on all aspects of starting and running a small business. Includes market research information, industry information, and much more. Example market trends report: Landscaping Services report.

Reference USA

ReferenceUSA is the yellow pages on steroids! Use ReferenceUSA to find competing companies in your geographic area. It is also a great tool for job-searchers. Provides U.S. company information searchable by name, address, ZIP code, SIC code, and yellow page directory listing. Allows 300 prints or downloads per search.

Business Source Complete

Business Source Complete provides access to content and indexing for 1,300 journals. It covers all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics. Additional full-text, non-journal content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses. BSC also contains the Regional Business News which provides comprehensive full text for regional US and Canadian business publications (including titles from Crain Communications). Regional Business News has full text for more than 80 sources.

Business Plan videos in LinkedIn Learning

Sign up for your LinkedIn Learning (LIL) account using these instructions: http://codlrc.org/linkedinlearning LIL is a great resource for a variety of business topics and also has a ton of tutorials on software used by horticulturalists and landscape designers.

WGSN

WGSN is a market intelligence tool. It examines current and future trends in a variety of design and creative industries. This rich resource includes trend forecasting reports, trade show reports, examinations of consumer behaviors, merchandising advice, and much more. Horticulture students should take a look at the following section: Lifestyle & Interiors>Interiors>Garden & Outdoor.
How to sign up for your personal WGSN account.