Open Educational Resources (OER)

What is Creative Commons?

Creative Commons is a set of legal tools, a nonprofit organization, as well as a global network and a movement — all inspired by people’s willingness to share their creativity and knowledge, and enabled by a set of open copyright licenses.

Creative Commons began in response to an outdated global copyright legal system. CC licenses are built on copyright and are designed to give more options to creators who want to share. Over time, the role and value of Creative Commons has expanded. Learn more about Creative Commons Licenses.

“Creative Commons License Spectrum” by Shaddim (CC BY)

Assessing Quality

As with any teaching material, due diligence must be done when selecting OER material. Here are some resources for evaluating OER.

OER can be easily integrated into Canvas. Here are some options:

• Create a link to the OER. If you decide to link, it is recommended that to keep a backup of the source. 
• Import the file into Canvas, and make it available for download. >
• Copy and paste portions into Canvas. If you decide to do this, it is important to give attribution. 
  • How to give attribution 
  • Attribution builder 
• There are also OER in Canvas in Canvas Commons. Click here to see how to access Canvas Commons. 

How to Let Students Know

Prior to the start of the semester, your division admin reaches out to ask what textbook you will assign. To report a ZTC section, this is the form: