Student-created OER

Overview

Definition of Open Educational Resources (OER)

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials that are freely available for use, adaptation, and redistribution. They are typically released under open licenses, such as Creative Commons licenses, which specify how the works can be used and shared. OER can include textbooks, course modules, lecture videos, assessments, syllabi, and other educational content that supports teaching and learning.

What makes student-created OER unique

Student-created OER differentiates itself through the lived experiences and fresh perspectives of the students who author them. These materials often reflect the language, examples, and contexts that resonate with current classrooms, making content more relevant and engaging. The process usually involves collaboration with instructors, peer feedback, and iterative revisions, which cultivates a culture of sharing and improvement rather than one-off assignment submission.

Why students contribute to OER

Students participate in OER creation to deepen understanding, develop digital literacy, and build professional portfolios. Contributing to openly licensed resources also reinforces responsible authorship and gives students a stake in the broader learning community. For many, it is a pathway to demonstrate expertise, leadership, and the ability to work in teams to produce tangible educational materials.

Benefits and Impact

Learning outcomes for students

When students create OER, they engage in higher-order thinking, synthesis, and application. The process promotes active learning, critical analysis of sources, and the ability to explain ideas clearly for diverse audiences. Students often gain confidence in their own knowledge and become more proficient at communicating complex concepts to peers with varying backgrounds.

Cost savings and equity for learners

One of the most direct benefits of student-created OER is reduced costs for learners. Free or low-cost materials remove a common barrier to access, supporting equity across income levels and communities. When resources are openly licensed, schools can scale access without repetitive licensing fees or restricted distribution, increasing participation and retention.

Institutional benefits and scalability

For institutions, student-created OER can reduce dependence on commercial textbooks, freeing funds for other instructional needs. Open resources can be updated more rapidly to reflect current standards and local conditions. Additionally, successful student-led OER projects can be scaled across departments, campuses, and even districts, creating a sustainable model for ongoing resource development.

The Creation Process

Planning and project scope

Effective OER creation begins with clear planning. Teams define learning objectives, identify target audiences, set realistic timelines, and determine the scope of the materials. Early planning should also address accessibility goals, licensing choices, and the desired formats for final outputs. A well-defined project charter helps keep contributors aligned and accountable.

Licensing, attribution, and rights

From the outset, projects should establish open licensing terms that permit reuse and adaptation. Licensing choices, such as Creative Commons licenses, determine how others can use the work. Clear attribution norms, rights statements, and guidance on derivative works protect authors while encouraging broad reuse and collaboration.

Tools and collaboration workflows

Collaboration is supported by a mix of tooling for drafting, editing, and version control. Common workflows include cloud-based documents for writing, versioned repositories for code or structured content, and project-management platforms to track tasks. Establishing templates, editing protocols, and review cycles helps maintain consistency and quality across contributions.

Quality assurance and revision cycles

Quality emerges through structured revision cycles and feedback loops. Peer reviews, instructor guidance, and user testing with actual learners help identify gaps and improve clarity. Regular revisions, accessibility checks, and alignment to learning objectives ensure that the final OER serves its intended purpose effectively.

Licensing, Attribution, and Rights

Choosing licenses (e.g., CC BY)

Choosing the right license is central to openness. Creative Commons licenses range from permissive (e.g., CC BY) to more restrictive variants. For broad reuse and adaptation, CC BY is a common starting point, as it requires attribution but allows derivative works. Institutions may tailor licenses to balance openness with local policies and recognition practices.

Best practices for attribution

Attribution should be clear, consistent, and visible within the resource itself and in accompanying metadata. Include author names, license type, date of publication, and a stable URL. When multiple authors contribute, credit each contributor and acknowledge the role of instructors or institutions where appropriate.

Versioning and updates

Version control is essential for tracking changes over time. Each release should include a brief changelog, a version number, and the publication date. Clear versioning helps users cite the correct iteration and ensures compatibility with course timelines and curricula revisions.

Platforms, Tools, and Accessibility

Hosting platforms for OER

Hosting platforms should prioritize discoverability, longevity, and open licensing. Repositories like institutional portals, dedicated OER platforms, and general-purpose repositories can serve as hosts. It is important to select platforms that support metadata standards, searchability, and easy export in multiple formats to maximize reach.

Collaboration tools for student authors

Student authors benefit from tools that support real-time collaboration, version history, and clear communication channels. Cloud-based word processors, shared repositories, discussion boards, and lightweight project-management tools help teams coordinate tasks, track progress, and resolve conflicts efficiently.

Accessibility considerations (WCAG)

Accessibility should be built in from the start. Materials should include accessible formats, such as tagged PDFs and HTML with semantic structure, alt text for images, captions for videos, transcripts for audio, and navigable layouts. Following WCAG guidelines helps ensure learners with disabilities can access and benefit from the resources.

Quality Assurance and Accessibility

Establishing quality standards

Quality standards encompass accuracy, completeness, coherence, and alignment with learning outcomes. Standards also cover readability, cultural responsiveness, and the inclusion of diverse perspectives. A clear rubric can guide authors and reviewers in evaluating each resource against these criteria.

Peer review processes

Peer review involves both peers and instructors assessing content for clarity, accuracy, and usefulness. Structured review cycles, anonymous feedback options, and documented revisions help maintain objectivity and continuous improvement across the resource set.

Inclusive design

Inclusive design considers the needs of multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and varying prior knowledge. Content should use plain language where possible, provide glossaries, and include multiple entry points for complex topics. Inclusive examples and diverse representations help broaden accessibility and relevance.

Assessment and Curriculum Integration

Assessment strategies for student-created OER

Assessments can evaluate both the final resource and the learning process. Rubrics may address accuracy, clarity, licensing compliance, collaboration quality, and the ability to justify design choices. Reflection prompts can capture students’ understanding of open pedagogy and their contributions to the learning community.

Aligning with learning objectives

Each OER project should map to explicit course objectives or program outcomes. A simple alignment matrix helps instructors verify that the resource supports the intended competencies and performance criteria, facilitating smoother integration into the curriculum.

Feedback loops and revision

Ongoing feedback—from instructors, peers, and learners—drives iterative improvement. Structured channels for report-back and revision ensure resources remain current, relevant, and effective as curricula evolve or new evidence emerges.

Policy, Sustainability, and Support

Institutional policy and licensing guidance

Clear policy guidance helps standardize open licensing, authorship recognition, and reuse rights. Institutions may publish best-practice templates, licensing checklists, and contributor agreements to simplify compliance and foster a culture of openness.

Professional development for educators

Educator training is essential to sustain student-led OER initiatives. Professional development can cover licensing literacy, open pedagogy principles, accessibility standards, and practical workflows for guiding student authors and peer review processes.

Sustainability and updating resources

Sustainability requires planned maintenance, budgeting for updates, and community involvement. Establishing update schedules, funding streams, and governance structures helps ensure resources remain accurate, relevant, and free for ongoing use.

Case Studies and Examples

K-12 and higher education case studies

Across K-12 and higher education, case studies illustrate how student-created OER can reduce costs, increase engagement, and improve comprehension. Examples include student-authored modules for science topics, community history projects turned into open textbooks, and peer-authored problem sets embedded in courses. These cases highlight collaboration between students, instructors, and librarians to curate robust resources.

Impact metrics and adoption

Impact is measured through metrics such as download counts, usage within courses, improvements in assessment outcomes, and reductions in textbook expenditures. Adoption often expands when resources are easy to locate, clearly licensed, and integrated with the course’s assessment framework.

Replicating successful models

Replication relies on modular design, clear role definitions, and adaptable templates. By sharing workflows, licensing guidelines, and review rubrics, institutions can scale successful models to different disciplines while maintaining quality and openness.

Future Trends in Student OER

Emerging tools and platforms

New authoring environments, collaborative platforms, and AI-assisted drafting tools are expanding how students create and refine OER. Automated accessibility checks, metadata extraction, and enhanced search capabilities will ease discovery and reuse of student-created materials.

Open pedagogy and student agency

Open pedagogy centers student authorship as a core learning activity. This approach fosters critical thinking about knowledge creation, community contribution, and transparent sharing. Students gain agency as co-creators rather than passive recipients of content.

Equity-focused design

Design trends emphasize multilingual resources, offline accessibility, and materials that reflect diverse cultures and perspectives. Equity-focused design aims to ensure all learners can participate meaningfully, regardless of language, disability, or access to technology.

Trusted Source Insight

Trusted Source Insight highlights the role of Open Educational Resources in expanding access to high-quality learning materials and supporting inclusive education worldwide. It advocates openly licensed resources, capacity-building, and policy frameworks that promote sharing, collaboration, and sustainable open education practice. https://unesdoc.unesco.org