Creating OER
Creating your own OER allows you to share your knowledge with a wider audience. Creating OER might seem intimidating at first, so we recommend the following guide to get you started.
- Creating - OER Toolkit: This toolkit on The Learning Portal can help you author new OER or adapt existing OER. It includes guides to help you develop, as well as tools and resources that you can use to create your OER.
Once you have created an OER you will need to determine how to make it openly available, so read the information on licensing.
Creative Commons (CC)
Creative Commons licenses provide an easy way to manage permissions to your work, while retaining the copyright. The exception is CC0 (Public Domain), with which you would relinquish your copyright. Because there is no single "Creative Commons license," it is important to identify which of the licenses you are applying to your material, and which of the licenses has been applied to any material that you intend to use, including the specific version.
When choosing a license, it is useful to know what the conditions of CC licenses are, so that you can select which combination you would like to use. The four main elements are as follows:
- Attribution (BY)users must provide attribution (BY) to the creator when the material is used and shared. All licenses (except CC0) require attribution.
- ShareAlike (SA)adaptations of the material be released under the same license.
- NonCommercial (NC)commercial use of the material is prohibited.
- NoDerivatives (ND)users cannot modify the material.
CC licenses may be applied to any type of work, including educational resources, photographs, and many other types of material. Creative Commons does not recommend its licenses for computer software and hardware. You should also not apply Creative Commons licenses to works that are no longer protected by copyright or are otherwise in the public domain, which can instead be marked with a Public Domain Mark.
Text modified from What are Creative Commons licenses? from Creative Commons used under a CC BY 4.0 License.
Creative Common (CC) Licenses
There are seven main Creative Commons licenses. Each license grants users permission to use works in specific ways. In order from most open to least open, the Creative Commons licenses are as follows:
- CC0 (Public Domain) The creator of the work has waived their copyright, and the work is considered in the public domain. These works and can be used without asking permission, and do not legally require attribution (although it is considerate to provide one and give credit to the author.)
- CC BY (Attribution) You can share and modify the work, even if you use it for commercial purposes, as long as you provide proper attribution.
- CC BY SA (Attribution-ShareAlike) You can share and modify the work, even if you use it for commercial purposes, as long as you provide proper attribution. If you change the work in any way, you must make your version available under the same license.
- CC BY NC (Attribution-NonCommercial) You can share and modify the work, as long as you do not use it for commercial purposes. You must provide proper attribution.
- CC BY NC SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) You can share and modify the work, as long as you do not use it for commercial purposes. You must provide proper attribution. If you change the work in any way, you must make your version available under the same license.
- CC BY ND (Attribution-NoDerivatives) You can share the work, even if you use it for commercial purposes, but you cannot modify it in any way. You must provide proper attribution.
- CC BY NC ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives) You can share the work, as long as you do not use it for commercial purposes, but you cannot modify it in any way. You must provide proper attribution.
For more information on the terms and conditions associated with CC licensed material, please visit the Creative Commons FAQ for Licensees.
Text explanation of the CC license types was adapted from About The Licenses from Creative Commons under a CC BY 4.0 License.
Featured OER guides to help you get started
Additional Resources
- Creative CommonsProvides information on the different CC licenses and how to use them.
- Best practices for attributionThese guidelines provide examples of good attributions and information about attribution in specific media.
- Open Attribution BuilderEasily create proper attributions for work that you have used under the Creative Commons Licensing.
- License ChooserTry out this simple License Chooser, available through Creative Commons, to easily identify the right open license for your work.
- CC SearchThe Creative Commons project home page. Search on multiple sites for CC content.
- Flickr CommonsBrowse or search photos and photographers work under each type of creative commons license.
- Google Advanced SearchPerform an advanced search on Google and specify the usage rights to find CC licensed results.
- Wikimedia CommonsA collection that boasts millions of freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute.
For more information on Copyright, please visit the Library website or contact Travis Winwood – ext: 7714, email: winwoot@algonquincollege.com