"OER" label

10 views
Skip to first unread message

Irit Gat

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 10:37:17 AM4/21/17
to CCCOER Advisory
Hi folks
I'm sure this is been discussed here but I couldn't find anything recently. The following was posted to the listserv ( see below) - but one of my faculty pointed out to me that it still involves a cost to the students, albeit a lower one. How is it then that it can be labeled "OER"? I thought to use that label it had to be completely free in at least one form to students. Thank you for the clarification
Here was the post article:
<https://press.vitalsource.com/oer-adoption-made-easy-through-vitalsource-and-california-state-university>

Corrie Bergeron

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 10:46:55 AM4/21/17
to cccoer-...@googlegroups.com
What's the cost to students?  I didn't see anything about costs in the news release, other than a reference to the fact that commercial publishers use the VitalSource platform.. There's a difference between "affordable" and truly Open.  I'm skeptical about calling something Open that was developed in -and presumably can only be edited in - a proprietary environment.  

----------------------------------
Corrie Bergeron, M.Ed.
Instructional Designer
Blackboard System Administrator
Lakeland Community College
7700 Clocktower Dr. Kirtland, OH, 44094-5198
C-2060
440-525-7232
cber...@lakelandcc.edu
https://lakelandcc.webex.com/meet/cbergeron

Quality Matters Master Reviewer
Designer, QM-certified course EDUC 2300, 2016
2015 -2017 SIIA CODiE Awards Judge
>

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-adviso...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Irit Gat

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 10:51:59 AM4/21/17
to cccoer-...@googlegroups.com, Cynthia Lehman
 One of my faculty member says that she  researched this and that it costs about $20-$30 for her students. So I'm just relying on what her experience was. I also didn't see any cost here but I'm wondering if anyone else knows about the use of the label or this publisher

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cccoer-advisory/AIBHPvEon5s/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to cccoer-adviso...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
--
Irit Gat, PhD
Chair Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Administration of Justice
Academic Senate President
Psychology Professor


Antelope Valley College | Social and Behavioral Science Division
3041 West Avenue K
Lancaster, CA 93536

Dario-Becker, Juville

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 11:07:03 AM4/21/17
to cccoer-...@googlegroups.com

There are some institutions that consider LT 40 (Less than $40) as still OER and instead of calling the course a Z-course ($0 cost), they call it “low-cost.” Many publishers and independent companies have developed ancillaries that go with OER texts so if a faculty wants the “packaged deal,” i.e. the free textbook and ancillaries, they can call their course “low-cost” and still be considered OER.

Irit Gat

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 11:11:22 AM4/21/17
to cccoer-...@googlegroups.com, Cynthia Lehman
 Thank you Juville- that is very helpful in terms of clarifying the use of the label

Rainer Mack

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 11:34:10 AM4/21/17
to cccoer-...@googlegroups.com, Cynthia Lehman

I encountered this issue while evaluating materials from Boundless.com. So far as I can figure out, a Boundless textbook can be accessed by students at no cost, and therefore is truly OER. But if the instructor wishes to use the Boundless platform (which includes quizzes, ability to customize, etc.) as an LMS (or integrate the Boundless platform into an existing LMS, such as Canvas), then there is a fee for student access. The fee is $30. 


Rainer Mack, Ph.D.
Visual and Performing Arts
Oxnard College



From: cccoer-...@googlegroups.com <cccoer-...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Irit Gat <ig...@avc.edu>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 8:11 AM

To: cccoer-...@googlegroups.com
Cc: Cynthia Lehman
Subject: Re: "OER" label
 

Julius, Jim

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 2:06:52 PM4/21/17
to cccoer-...@googlegroups.com

I would hope that institutions don't use "OER" and "low cost" or "free" synonymously. That does a disservice to what OER really means. See various definitions here: https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/What_is_OER%3F which all emphasize the importance of an open license for anything labeled as OER.​


OER materials may be hosted on a platform/service that charges a nominal fee to students or the institution. I think it's important to keep the understanding of OER (materials) separate from what's being paid for (the service/platform) ...


- Jim

Jim Julius, Ed.D.

Faculty Director, Online Education

MiraCosta College

From: cccoer-...@googlegroups.com <cccoer-...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Rainer Mack <rm...@vcccd.edu>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 8:34 AM

Cable Green

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 2:16:20 PM4/21/17
to CCCOER Advisory
This might be helpful:  http://www.oerstrategy.org/home/read-the-doc/

We Have Similar Perspectives On…

  • Definition of OER: The movement broadly agrees on the definition of OER as put forth by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation or UNESCO, noting that there may be some differences around which specific open licenses qualify as OER (such as those restricting commercial use). However, the general understanding that OER must be both free (no cost) for anyone to access and to legally modify (according to the 5R activities: retain, reuse, revise, remix, redistribute) is widely accepted.
  • Cable

On Fri, Apr 21, 2017 at 11:06 AM, Julius, Jim <jju...@miracosta.edu> wrote:

I would hope that institutions don't use "OER" and "low cost" or "free" synonymously. That does a disservice to what OER really means. See various definitions here: https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/What_is_OER%3F which all emphasize the importance of an open license for anything labeled as OER.​


OER materials may be hosted on a platform/service that charges a nominal fee to students or the institution. I think it's important to keep the understanding of OER (materials) separate from what's being paid for (the service/platform) ...


- Jim

Jim Julius, Ed.D.

Faculty Director, Online Education

MiraCosta College


Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 8:34 AM

Cc: Cynthia Lehman
Subject: Re: "OER" label

I encountered this issue while evaluating materials from Boundless.com. So far as I can figure out, a Boundless textbook can be accessed by students at no cost, and therefore is truly OER. But if the instructor wishes to use the Boundless platform (which includes quizzes, ability to customize, etc.) as an LMS (or integrate the Boundless platform into an existing LMS, such as Canvas), then there is a fee for student access. The fee is $30. 


Rainer Mack, Ph.D.
Visual and Performing Arts
Oxnard College




Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 8:11 AM

Cc: Cynthia Lehman
Subject: Re: "OER" label
 Thank you Juville- that is very helpful in terms of clarifying the use of the label

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cccoer-advisory/AIBHPvEon5s/unsubscribe.

To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.


For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Irit Gat, PhD
Chair Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Administration of Justice

Academic Senate President

Psychology Professor

 

Antelope Valley College | Social and Behavioral Science Division

3041 West Avenue K

Lancaster, CA 93536

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.


For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cccoer-advisory/AIBHPvEon5s/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
--
Irit Gat, PhD
Chair Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Administration of Justice
Academic Senate President
Psychology Professor


Antelope Valley College | Social and Behavioral Science Division
3041 West Avenue K
Lancaster, CA 93536

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.



--


Cable Green, PhD
Director of Open Education
Creative Commons
@cgreen
retain, reuse, revise, remix, redistribute
Get Creative Commons Updates http://bit.ly/commonsnews

Joanna M. Miller

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 2:30:42 PM4/21/17
to cccoer-...@googlegroups.com
At a recent conference, a representative from Norton was saying they were going move toward OER with an initiative for a type of textbook site licensing, through which (presumably) the institution would use grant funding to buy a site license for a text and provide the materials free to students.. 
The rep made the point that it would be a way to keep text resources current and ‘sustainable,' since not all authors or publishers will be willing/able to provide materials at no charge, and that it would expand the disciplines for which there are resources available.

Would you say though, that this concept would be excluded from any subset of OER, since these materials do not 'reside in the public domain,’ and would not really be open at all?
Thanks!
Joanna


Joanna M. Miller, Ed.D.
Distance Education Coordinator
Journalism Faculty, Student News Media Adviser
Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Dr., Moorpark 93021

Cable Green

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 2:37:01 PM4/21/17
to CCCOER Advisory
Hi Joanna:

For something to be an OER - it has to be both (a) freely available to the public and (b) either in the public domain or under an open license that provides 5Rs rights.

The CC licenses that provide 5Rs (retain, reuse, revise, remix, redistribute) are:

CC BY
CC BY SA
CC BY NC
CC BY NC SA

Cheers,

Cable

On Fri, Apr 21, 2017 at 11:30 AM, Joanna M. Miller <Joanna...@vcccd.edu> wrote:
At a recent conference, a representative from Norton was saying they were going move toward OER with an initiative for a type of textbook site licensing, through which (presumably) the institution would use grant funding to buy a site license for a text and provide the materials free to students.. 
The rep made the point that it would be a way to keep text resources current and ‘sustainable,' since not all authors or publishers will be willing/able to provide materials at no charge, and that it would expand the disciplines for which there are resources available.

Would you say though, that this concept would be excluded from any subset of OER, since these materials do not 'reside in the public domain,’ and would not really be open at all?
Thanks!
Joanna


Joanna M. Miller, Ed.D.
Distance Education Coordinator
Journalism Faculty, Student News Media Adviser
Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Dr., Moorpark 93021

From: <cccoer-advisory@googlegroups.com> on behalf of "Julius, Jim" <jju...@miracosta.edu>
Reply-To: "cccoer-advisory@googlegroups.com" <cccoer-advisory@googlegroups.com>
Date: Friday, April 21, 2017 at 11:06 AM
To: "cccoer-advisory@googlegroups.com" <cccoer-advisory@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: "OER" label

I would hope that institutions don't use "OER" and "low cost" or "free" synonymously. That does a disservice to what OER really means. See various definitions here: https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/What_is_OER%3F which all emphasize the importance of an open license for anything labeled as OER.​


OER materials may be hosted on a platform/service that charges a nominal fee to students or the institution. I think it's important to keep the understanding of OER (materials) separate from what's being paid for (the service/platform) ...


- Jim

Jim Julius, Ed.D.

Faculty Director, Online Education

MiraCosta College


Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 8:34 AM

Cc: Cynthia Lehman
Subject: Re: "OER" label

I encountered this issue while evaluating materials from Boundless.com. So far as I can figure out, a Boundless textbook can be accessed by students at no cost, and therefore is truly OER. But if the instructor wishes to use the Boundless platform (which includes quizzes, ability to customize, etc.) as an LMS (or integrate the Boundless platform into an existing LMS, such as Canvas), then there is a fee for student access. The fee is $30. 


Rainer Mack, Ph.D.
Visual and Performing Arts
Oxnard College




Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 8:11 AM

Cc: Cynthia Lehman
Subject: Re: "OER" label
 Thank you Juville- that is very helpful in terms of clarifying the use of the label

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cccoer-advisory/AIBHPvEon5s/unsubscribe.

To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.


For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Irit Gat, PhD
Chair Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Administration of Justice

Academic Senate President

Psychology Professor

 

Antelope Valley College | Social and Behavioral Science Division

3041 West Avenue K

Lancaster, CA 93536

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.


For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/cccoer-advisory/AIBHPvEon5s/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
--
Irit Gat, PhD
Chair Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Administration of Justice
Academic Senate President
Psychology Professor


Antelope Valley College | Social and Behavioral Science Division
3041 West Avenue K
Lancaster, CA 93536

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCOER Advisory" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cccoer-advisory+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.



--


Cable Green, PhD
Director of Open Education
Creative Commons
@cgreen
retain, reuse, revise, remix, redistribute

Cable Green

unread,
Apr 21, 2017, 2:50:19 PM4/21/17
to CCCOER Advisory
This post might also be useful: https://opencontent.org/blog/archives/4397
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages