Research Guides: Open Educational Resources: Evaluating OER

Evaluating Open Educational Resources

With so many freely available resources online, choosing OER can be overwhelming. This checklist contains some suggestions for faculty when choosing resources for use in the classroom.

RELEVANCE

Does the information directly address one or more of the class objectives? ► YES or ► NO

PRODUCTION QUALITY

Is the information clear and understandable? ► YES or ► NO
Is the layout and interface easy to navigate? ► YES or ► NO
Do the design features enhance learning? ► YES or ► NO
For multimedia resources, are the audio/video quality high? ► YES or ► NO

ACCESSIBILITY

Is the resource available in alternative formats (e.g. .doc or .pdf)? ► YES or ► NO
For audio or video resources, is there a transcript or subtitles? ► YES or ► NO

INTERACTIVITY

Does the resource encourage active learning and class participation? If not, are you able to add that to the resource? ► YES or ► NO
Are there opportunities for students to test their understanding of the material (e.g. a video with embedded questions)? ► YES or ► NO

LICENSING

Does the license allow for educational reuse of the materials? ► YES or ► NO
Does the license allow modifications or adaptations of the materials? If so, can you modify the resource to better fit the class objectives or encourage active learning? ► YES or ► NO

From Faculty Guide for Evaluating Open Education Resources by BCCampus licensed under a CC BY 4.0.

Additional OER Rubrics

Rubrics for Evaluating Open Education Resource (OER) Objects [pdf], Achieve
There rubrics represent an evaluation system for objects such as images, applets, lessons, units, assessments and more. For the purpose of this evaluation, any component that can exist as a stand-alone qualifies as an object. The rubrics in this packet can be applied across content areas and object types.
Achieve OER Evaluation Tool Handbook
This handbook has been designed to walk a user through the process of evaluating an online resource using the Achieve Open Educational Resources rubrics (see above link). The guide includes step-by-step instructions along with screenshots of the example object during the process of the evaluation.
iRubric: Evaluating OER Rubric
iRubric is a comprehensive rubric development, assessment, and sharing tool. Designed from the ground up, iRubric supports a variety of applications in an easy-to-use package. Best of all, iRubric is free to build and share. iRubric Enterprise Edition empowers schools with an easy-to-use system for monitoring student learning outcomes and aligning with standards.
Evaluate and Align OER, OER Commoncs
OER Commons offers a comprehensive infrastructure for curriculum experts and instructors at all levels to identify high-quality OER and collaborate around their adaptation, evaluation, and use to address the needs of teachers and learners.
Checklist for Evaluating Open Educational Resources (OER) [docx]
Provides for evaluation of Breadth of Perspectives and Accuracy, Alignment, Production Quality, ADA Compliance, Student Access, Student Engagement, Cultural Relevance and Sensitivity, and Licensing.
OER Evaluation Criteria [pdf], Affordable Learning Georgia
Provides for evaluation of Clarity, Comprehensibility, and Readability, Content Accuracy and Technical Accuracy, Adaptability and Modularity, Appropriateness, Accessibility, and Supplementary Resources.

Morris Library

Open Educational Resources: Evaluating OER