Ancillary Content [Reference]
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- List two providers of open ancillary content, such as assessment systems.
- Explain why some content providers charge for access to OER-adjacent content.
This chapter is an adaptation of the chapter, “Ancillary Content” from the OER Starter Kit by Abbey Elder and is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 International license.
Many people seeking a pathway into OER start with adoption, adaption, or creation of ancillary content. There are many open ancillary resources available in simple file formats such as PDF lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, and lecture notes, but interactive resources like those often included in publisher-provided content packages are less common. In this chapter, we will discuss the exceptions to that rule.
Open Ancillary Resources
OpenStax Hub
In 2017, one of the most popular open textbook publishers, OpenStax, teamed up with OER Commons, one of the most popular OER repositories. The OER Commons Hub is a venue for instructors to share ancillary materials that they have created to pair with OpenStax textbooks.
In addition to the OER Commons’ OpenStax hub, instructors can also access ancillary content for OpenStax texts through the Instructor Resources tab on any OpenStax textbook. To use the instructor resources provided by OpenStax, you will need to verify your identity to ensure that students cannot get easy access to homework or review answers.
PhET Interactive Simulations (PhET Sims)
PhET provides free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations. These simulations cover topics taught in K-12 and higher education contexts, with primary coverage for Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Earth Science.
MyOpenMath
MyOpenMath, “a free, open source, online course management system for mathematics and other quantitative fields,” is an exceptional example of a tool for sharing open ancillary materials.[1] The site does require a login to ensure that only instructors can access the answers to exercises, but otherwise, its content is open and free to access.
What makes MyOpenMath stand out is that it is a program used to create and share problem sets with students in one easy place. It does not require copying homework sets into a Learning Management System or other product to make it work. This “plug-and-play” system has been lacking in many OER platforms because, since OER are free to access, supporting software updates and upkeep can be difficult.
LibreTexts
Founded by UC Davis professor Delmar Larsen for Chemistry, LibreTexts has evolved into “a multi-institutional collaborative venture to develop the next generation of open-access texts to improve postsecondary education at all levels of higher learning.” The site now contains resources for thirteen subject areas and its content has been adopted for more than 150 courses.
Each subject area in LibreTexts contains a mix of content such as texts, homework