Open educational resources (OERs) are free and accessible learning materials designed for teaching, learning, and research. They include things like textbooks, videos, quizzes, and other educational tools that anyone can use, adapt, and share. Because they are openly licensed, usually with Creative Commons licenses, they allow educators and students to use them without cost, customize them to fit specific needs, and collaborate on improving and expanding their content.
At TRU, OER is an essential part of making education more affordable and accessible for students by eliminating costly textbook fees and providing resources that can be customized to your learning needs.
How do OERs Benefit Me?
Cost Savings
With OER, you don’t have to worry about buying expensive textbooks and other course materials
Customization
Instructors can adapt OER materials to better fit your course, making your learning more relevant and engaging
Accessibility
OER materials are available digitally, making them easy to access anytime, anywhere
Global Impact
By contributing to OER, students can share their work with a worldwide audience, adding value to their academic and professional experiences
How Can I Get Involved?
Talk to Your Instructors: Ask your professors about using OERs in their courses. Share how these free resources can help you and your classmates.
Join Student Groups: Get involved with student associations advocating for the use of OER at TRU. Join or start a campaign to promote OER in your department.
Collaborate on OER Projects: Students can work together to develop new OER materials or help improve existing resources.
Organize your course materials into study guides or note summaries. These can be immensely helpful for exam preparation, particularly for students who want concise reviews of course content.
Comprehensive study guides with key definitions, formulas, or concepts
Condensed summaries of lecture content to help peers study for exams
Flashcards & Study Apps
Create digital flashcards using mobile apps for studying (e.g., Quizlet and Anki). These are popular tools for quick learning and repetition, especially for memorization-heavy subjects.
Flashcard decks on key terms and definitions for language learning or anatomy
Mobile-friendly studying aids for on-the-go learning
Collaborative Projects on Wikis
Work with multiple students to build a comprehensive repository of knowledge on a collaborative platform like a wiki.
A wiki with editable sections on course topics, contributed by students
A group project that creates an open-source resource for a particular course or discipline
Collaborative Notes
Collaborate with students on platforms like Google Docs to combine different perspectives and understanding of course material.
Crowdsourced study guides where students can contribute their own notes and edits
Group documentation of problem-solving methods in technical courses
Create educational videos or tutorials explaining concepts or demonstrating skills. These could be hosted on YouTube or integrated into course websites.
Tutorial videos on problem-solving strategies in math or science
Short, explainer videos breaking down difficult course concepts
Audio & Podcasts
Record lectures, interviews, or educational podcasts. Audio content can be an engaging way to deliver material in a flexible format.
A podcast series interviewing experts in a particular field of study
Discussion-based podcasts where students recap and analyze course topics
Quizzes & Practice Problems
Develop interactive quizzes or problem sets to help reinforce learning. Tools like H5P and Google Forms can be used to make these resources accessible and shareable.
Interactive quizzes for exam preparation or review
Problem sets with step-by-step solutions, especially in subjects like math, chemistry, and engineering
Presentations & Infographics
Design visually appealing presentations or infographics to simplify difficult concepts and make them easier to grasp.
Infographics summarizing key concepts from lectures or textbooks
Visual flowcharts showing processes and relationships (e.g., in biology or history)
Multimedia Projects
Combine various media types (e.g., text, audio, video, and quizzes) into comprehensive learning modules or courses
How We Can Support You
The TRU Open Press can provide guidance and support in creating, editing, and publishing this type of content. Whether you’re producing a video series, writing a textbook, or developing quizzes, our team can help you navigate the technical aspects and ensure your work reaches the widest audience.
We offer:
Workshops: Attend workshops on OER development and licensing
Editing & Design: Get support from our team for editing, formatting, and designing your OER
Publishing: We offer a platform to publish and distribute your OER to the TRU community and beyond
Interested in getting started? Contact us for more information at openpress@tru.ca
