5 OER Supports
Institutional/College
- WTCS OER Lead Contact – (Links to WTCS Repository, see ReadMe tab.) This individual will be able to point you in the right direction from the beginning. Think of it as a concierge service!
- College/School Library – Libraries and librarians have been long-time supporters of the promotion of free and open information, and are key players in open education. As a bonus, their specialty is locating and providing access to information.
- College Bookstore – Bookstore support can vary, depending on potential contracts. In some institutions, such as Nicolet Technical College in Wisconsin, OER is led by the bookstore (see Cindy Domaika’s CCCER post). In other institutions, the bookstores may be privately owned or a contracted partner and tend to be less involved.
Wisconsin
- WTCS OER Network– Network and resources geared towards Wisconsin technical colleges.
- Community for Open Wisconsin – Wisconsin’s statewide organization for open education, membership includes K-12, CESA, Wisconsin Technical Colleges/System, University of Wisconsin/System, and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction – Includes resources especially helpful for K-12.
National Support
- Community College Consortium of Open Educational Resources (CCCOER) – a community of practice organization. CCCOER provides resources, support, and opportunities for collaborative learning. Emphasis on community and technical college. Some Wisconsin Technical Colleges, such as Chippewa Valley, Fox Valley, Lakeshore, and Nicolet, are members of this organization.
- SPARC – Specializes in policies and practices encompassing open education. Their powerful advocacy has resulted in the Department of Education’s Open Textbooks grant, of which Chippewa Valley Technical College and partner technical colleges are recipients. Some Wisconsin Technical Colleges, such as Chippewa Valley and Fox Valley, are members of this organization.
E-mail Listservs
There are a variety of listservs available for support. Listservs are invaluable tools for learning from others, especially in regards to policies, processes, and – of course – helping find resources. I recommend you refer to your library or other OER contact before you sign-up for a listserv – they can be very overwhelming! Sometimes, less information is more.
OER Repositories (an abbreviated list)
WTCS OER Repository is a spreadsheet that summarizes OER textbook adoptions across our system. In addition, you can find your college’s OER point person in the ‘Read Me’ tab.
ASCCC OERI: Brand new OER textbooks and ancillaries, from California Community College faculty
LibreTexts (UC Davis): Browse collections by discipline (click “Explore the Libraries” at the top).
OpenStax (Rice University) – Peer-reviewed, openly licensed textbooks and accompanying ancillary materials, such as slides and test banks. OpenStax textbooks have been adopted at numerous universities throughout the world. I