Open Educational Resources (OER): Evaluating OERs

Consider the following factors when evaluating whether to use a specific OER in your course.

Quality

• Peer Review available or used
• Reputation of author/ institution is transparent
• Pedagogical methods are sound
• Allows for customization or refinement

Appropriateness

• Content is accurate
• Sources are identified and cited
• Some alignment with a learning outcome or course objective
• Appropriate reading/ domain level for your students

Technical

• High technical quality (clear visuals, high production value)
• Clear licensing declaration (Creative Commons License present, in the Public Domain, etc.)
• License to remix or share again

*Note: This checklist was reused and adapted from Kirkwood Community College Library's guide on open textbooks. It was developed by Sarah Crissinger, Information Literacy Graduate Assistant. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.