What are the best practices for creating and sharing OERs in your discipline or field?

1 Define your goals

Before you create or share an OER, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, who you want to reach, and how you want to measure your impact. Your goals should align with your discipline or field standards, learning outcomes, and pedagogical approaches. You should also consider the needs and preferences of your target audience, such as their level of expertise, language, and culture.

2 Choose your format

OERs can take various forms, such as text, audio, video, images, interactive simulations, or games. Depending on your goals and audience, you should choose the format that best suits your content, context, and delivery mode. For example, if you want to explain a complex concept, you might use a video or a simulation. If you want to provide a reference or a summary, you might use a text or an image.

3 Apply licenses and metadata

To make your OER legally and technically reusable, you need to apply an appropriate license and metadata. A license is a set of terms and conditions that specify how others can use, modify, and distribute your OER. A common license for OERs is the Creative Commons license, which allows you to choose different levels of permissions and restrictions. Metadata is a set of information that describes your OER, such as its title, author, date, keywords, and description. Metadata helps others to find, understand, and cite your OER.

6 Update and revise

OERs are not static products. They are dynamic and evolving resources that need to be updated and revised regularly. Updating and revising your OERs can help you to keep them current, relevant, and effective. You should monitor the changes and developments in your discipline or field, as well as the feedback and suggestions from your users. You should also document and share your updates and revisions with others who might use or adapt your OERs.