Search for Open Educational Resources (OER)

Many of these platforms allow you to browse their resources. This can give you a sense of what the platform has to offer. 

Browsing will look different on each platform. 

Some will have a distinct browse button. For example, below the search bar on the ECampus Ontario Open Library platform, click the link labelled “Or browse all educational resources” to browse and filter all offerings.

Other platforms may be less intuitive. For example, on the OER Commons platform, you can select options from some or all of the filters in the search bar (which include Subject, Education Level, and Standard) and conduct a broad search without inputting a keyword.

Once you have a sense of what is available and what you are looking for, you can do a more targeted search.

To develop a strong search strategy, ask yourself the following questions:

• What kinds of materials am I looking for?
• In what subject/discipline and sub-discipline am I teaching?
• Do I want to be able to adapt the source? 

From here you can create a list of keywords and filters you will want to use in your search.

Use the Advance Search option, if available, to create a search. The Advanced Search will allow you to create a more targeted, specific search than browsing. You can input multiple keywords and add filters, which is especially useful when searching for more specific sub-discipline resources or for very specific types of learning materials.

Some platforms will allow you to include filters in your initial search. Others will only allow filtering once keywords have been searched.

Filters could include:

• Subject(s): this will be a general subject discipline. You might need keywords for searching sub-disciplines (eg; microbiology)
• Material type: since OER can take on a variety of forms, you can often filter for a specific material type (eg, textbook, assignment, data set). Keep in mind that sometimes, smaller objects like videos are embedded in larger objects like textbooks, so you may not want to use this filter at first.
• License type: There are a variety of different open licenses, each with different permissions and restrictions. 
• Language
• Education level

Licensing Information

Many of these platforms provide licensing information, such as the Creative Commons icons or written explanations, for each OER.  Check the licensing information for instructions on providing credit to the original creator, and rules about how the work can or cannot be adapted.

Reviews and ratings

Some platforms will include reviews for the materials. Many will give the average star rating of a resource, and some will provide more details. For example, Open Textbook Network Library allows reviewers to rate the material based on a variety of criteria such as comprehensiveness, accuracy, and clarity. Reviewers need to provide their name, role, and institution, which can provide context to the review and allow you to evaluate the qualifications of the reviewer. Reviews can help you assess the materials you find.