Open Education Resources

Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others. OER include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.

Augusta University is committed to providing affordable education to all students. One way the university is doing this is by promoting the design, use, and adoption of affordable and Open Education Resources. A team of three local representatives (the “Champions”) of Affordable Learning Georgia will be happy to answer your questions about open learning materials.

Andrew Goss

Faculty Champion
Assures Promotion and Diffusion

Melissa Johnson

Library Champion
Identifies, Evaluates, and Provides Access

Arthur Takahashi

Design Champion
Designs and Creates Accessible Material

Come back soon for more information

Contact Us

Open Education Resources

Summerville Campus

University Hall

U-235

2500 Walton Way

Augusta, GA 30904

706-446-5556

Steps to Adopt Open Learning Materials

Already Developing Material?

Add a mention that you are using an open source license on your work. You retain the copyrights on your work, but it simply states that you allow (under conditions that you can fix) re-distribution and modifications of your work.

Make Material Public

Make sure your material is publicly available, by e.g. uploading it to Augusta University's Institutional Repository. This will increase its visibility and attracts feedback.

Adopting Existing Material?

Consult this guide from the University library to help you find open learning resource

Developing Your Own Material?

Get in touch with your campus champions to help you get started, and possibly obtain financial and technical support by applying to an Affordable Materials Grants from Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG)

Find More Information about Open Learning Materials

The best places to get started are:

Grant Opportunities Open Educational Resources Customizing and Authoring Content

Benefits of Open Learning Materials

Learning materials dubbed “open” are re-usable, redistributable and editable material of all nature (textbook, laboratory handbooks, exams yearbooks, homework, primary source, etc.) that are generally cost-free. Adopting those for a class has multiple benefits.

For Students

the material is accessible as soon as class starts, or even before
the class may qualify to the “No cost” or “Low cost” attributes
students can take notes directly in their copy of the material used, by editing it freely

For Instructors

If instructors are using existing open learning materials:

can edit and tune to fit their needs
update and correct if needed

If instructors are developing their own material:

can implement students’ feedback as the class unfolds
reorganize and adjust the resource to the needs

For Departments & Schools

facilitates a uniform delivery of the multiple courses' contents
supports a mutualization of the instructor's efforts to improve the material used in class

For Augusta University

facilitates the recognition of the quality of the instruction
enables external feedback from readers all over the world

For the University System of Georgia

densifies the collaboration between institutions
attracts federal recognition as e.g. the Exceptional Agency awarded by the State Higher Education Executive Officers on July 17, 2019

Professional Development Opportunities

Check back soon for Professional Development Opportunities