Evaluating OERs
As with traditionally published educational resources, the quality and applicability of OERs to your specific context can vary considerably. Before selecting an OER to use or adapt, you should critically evaluate it.
Evaluation checklist
See also the Faculty Guide to Evaluating OERs (below):
- Does the work align with your curricular needs? Is it at an appropriate depth?
- Is the work comprehensible and clearly written?
- If it is a longer work such as a textbook or full course, is it logically organized?
- Is it accurate? Are there obvious errors?
- Is it appropriately licensed for your desired use? Is it in a format that can be easily edited?
- Is the work appropriate for your particular geographic and cultural context?
- Is the work accessible to learners with disabilities?
Keep in mind that even if the answer to one of these questions is "no", it's possible for you to adapt the work to make it more appropriate for use. For example, the work could be localized to better fit your geographic context.
BCOEL Librarians: Faculty guide for evaluating open education resources (04-2015). CC BY 4.0. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/facultyoertoolkit/chapter/evaluating-oer/