What
are OER?
Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational, digital resources (e.g., textbooks, lesson plans, videos, software) that are free to use and free of most restrictions on sharing and use. As a result, concerns asking, "Can I use this?" and "How much can I use in my class?" go away. As a result, students can have course materials on Day 1, and needn't pay high prices to booksellers, or wait for availability through library course reserves or the Book Lending Program.
What are Affordable Educational Resources?
Sometimes library resources and bookstore packages are erroneously labeled as OER. Because they've been purchased or otherwise licensed with significant re-use restrictions, it's best to distinguish them as affordable (rather than open) educational resources.
