![\"Flowchart](\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2593\/2025\/12\/OpenEducation_Create-OER-Decision-Treat.png\")
\r\nTake a moment and think about an OER project that you are interested in starting, have already started, or have completed in the past. Go through the decision tree. Were there any moments during the decision tree review that you hadn\u2019t considered in the past? How would you deal with these issues in your OER creation?\r\nStep 1. Copyright & License Review<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\nIf you are choosing to use a preexisting resource, you will need to ensure that you can share the content openly.\r\n\r\n \t- Identify license of any materials already being used in the resource<\/li>\r\n \t
- Track down original sources and licenses for any unattributed materials<\/li>\r\n \t
- Identify content that needs to be replaced with open resources<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Step 2: Identify Needed Resources<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- Identify the license being used in your OER project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Identify compatible licenses for existing materials you want to use in your OER<\/li>\r\n \t
- Identify what resource types you need and for what purposes<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Step 3: Selecting a Tool<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\nWhile selecting a tool to develop an OER is often at the top of the mind, OER can be created with most tools. The \u201copenness\u201d of the object is largely dependent on the license and the file format that is provided to potential users. However, there are some questions you can ask yourself to select the best tool for the kind of resource you are developing.\r\n\r\n \t- What am I trying to achieve with this OER?<\/strong> This will impact your tool decision because of the different features these platforms offer. For example, if you are writing a textbook and you want to achieve a higher level of student engagement, you might be better off choosing Pressbooks (which offers H5P capabilities) over the UBC Wiki, which has no interactive opportunities for students.<\/li>\r\n \t
- What are the Learning Objectives?<\/strong> This is a great question to consider if you\u2019re involving students in creating OER. For example, if you want to have students contribute to the project through posting their assignments or papers, or have them help create content for your project, then a Blog or WordPress site is much better suited to that than Pressbooks where, for example, you would have to request permission to have extra accounts made.<\/li>\r\n \t
- How will I evaluate my project?<\/strong> If you are interested in metrics, then using a platform like Pressbooks would be useful since it provides some metrics tracking. If you are looking to easily keep track of the number of student assignments completed, then bundling up student work into a journal with OJS would be a good choice.<\/li>\r\n \t
- What are the tools used by other faculty in my department?<\/strong> While this shouldn\u2019t be used as a sole criterion for which tool to use, it is useful to talk to other faculty members creating similar OER to see what they are using. There might be a specific reason why a specific tool is being used, and using the same tools consistently can be helpful. For example, if you choose to create a set of questions using WeBWork, students who have used it in the past won\u2019t have to re-learn a new platform or software.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUBC directly supports the use of Open Journal Systems (OJS)<\/a>, Pressbooks<\/a>, UBC Blogs (WordPress)<\/a>, UBC Wiki<\/a>, and WeBWorK<\/a>. The tools that UBC supports have gone through a review for FIPPA<\/a> compliance, so if you choose to use a different tool make sure you and your students are informed about their information privacy.\r\n
Step 4: Assigning a License<\/h3>\r\nAssigning an open license to your work will depend on a few considerations.\r\n\r\nFirst, you will need to decide what rights you would like to maintain and give to users of your OER. This will direct the type of license you will assign. Review the Creative Commons<\/a> chapter for more details.\r\n\r\nSecond, if you have used materials in your OER that are openly licensed, for example under a Creative Commons license, you will need to abide by the sharing and adaption requirements of the license. This will impact the kind of license you can use on your resource. The following video outlines these considerations:\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Hkz4q2yuQU8\r\nCreating OER and Combining Licenses - Full. (2012). By TheOGRepository. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0<\/a> <\/sup><\/p>\r\nFor further help, you can use the\u00a0Creative Commons Choose a License<\/a>\u00a0tool or the\u00a0license compatibility chart on the Creative Commons wiki<\/a>.\r\nStep 5: Sharing the OER<\/h3>\r\nSharing open educational resources can be difficult, so developing a workflow for sharing your content through repositories and community networks will help to increase the reach of your work. The Sharing OER <\/a>chapter will cover strategies in developing a workflow.\r\nSignificant Creation Considerations<\/h2>\r\nWhile the general process for creating OER is outlined in the video above, there are several significant issues that should be considered prior to creating your resource. These considerations aren\u2019t specific to what you create and the license you attach but address how you plan your resource before it is developed to ensure the greatest potential of your content for yourself and others.\r\nSharing in an Open Environment<\/h3>\r\nA common issue encountered by those engaging in OER creation is the desire to use content that was already created for the classroom environment. The difficulty with using previously developed educational content is often you have not considered the licensing and attribution processes needed in OER development \u2014 mainly making sure that the existing materials can be included in your newly-created open learning resource. Many of the materials you use in courses are likely copyrighted, or you might not have taken note of the licensing or attribution information to make sure they are open. Often retroactively trying to find the licenses can be difficult because the attributions to the original resources are missing.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re adapting an existing resource, you\u2019ve likely used images, graphs or charts to illustrate your lectures, handouts or modules under Fair Dealing<\/a>. However, according to UBC Copyright\u2019s guidelines for open courses and OER<\/a>, Fair Dealing exceptions cannot be relied upon<\/strong> in open environments since the audience is not limited to registered students.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Identify license of any materials already being used in the resource<\/li>\r\n \t
- Track down original sources and licenses for any unattributed materials<\/li>\r\n \t
- Identify content that needs to be replaced with open resources<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Step 2: Identify Needed Resources<\/h3>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Identify the license being used in your OER project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Identify compatible licenses for existing materials you want to use in your OER<\/li>\r\n \t
- Identify what resource types you need and for what purposes<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Step 3: Selecting a Tool<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n\r\nWhile selecting a tool to develop an OER is often at the top of the mind, OER can be created with most tools. The \u201copenness\u201d of the object is largely dependent on the license and the file format that is provided to potential users. However, there are some questions you can ask yourself to select the best tool for the kind of resource you are developing.\r\n- \r\n \t
- What am I trying to achieve with this OER?<\/strong> This will impact your tool decision because of the different features these platforms offer. For example, if you are writing a textbook and you want to achieve a higher level of student engagement, you might be better off choosing Pressbooks (which offers H5P capabilities) over the UBC Wiki, which has no interactive opportunities for students.<\/li>\r\n \t
- What are the Learning Objectives?<\/strong> This is a great question to consider if you\u2019re involving students in creating OER. For example, if you want to have students contribute to the project through posting their assignments or papers, or have them help create content for your project, then a Blog or WordPress site is much better suited to that than Pressbooks where, for example, you would have to request permission to have extra accounts made.<\/li>\r\n \t
- How will I evaluate my project?<\/strong> If you are interested in metrics, then using a platform like Pressbooks would be useful since it provides some metrics tracking. If you are looking to easily keep track of the number of student assignments completed, then bundling up student work into a journal with OJS would be a good choice.<\/li>\r\n \t
- What are the tools used by other faculty in my department?<\/strong> While this shouldn\u2019t be used as a sole criterion for which tool to use, it is useful to talk to other faculty members creating similar OER to see what they are using. There might be a specific reason why a specific tool is being used, and using the same tools consistently can be helpful. For example, if you choose to create a set of questions using WeBWork, students who have used it in the past won\u2019t have to re-learn a new platform or software.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUBC directly supports the use of Open Journal Systems (OJS)<\/a>, Pressbooks<\/a>, UBC Blogs (WordPress)<\/a>, UBC Wiki<\/a>, and WeBWorK<\/a>. The tools that UBC supports have gone through a review for FIPPA<\/a> compliance, so if you choose to use a different tool make sure you and your students are informed about their information privacy.\r\n
Step 4: Assigning a License<\/h3>\r\nAssigning an open license to your work will depend on a few considerations.\r\n\r\nFirst, you will need to decide what rights you would like to maintain and give to users of your OER. This will direct the type of license you will assign. Review the Creative Commons<\/a> chapter for more details.\r\n\r\nSecond, if you have used materials in your OER that are openly licensed, for example under a Creative Commons license, you will need to abide by the sharing and adaption requirements of the license. This will impact the kind of license you can use on your resource. The following video outlines these considerations:\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Hkz4q2yuQU8\r\n
Creating OER and Combining Licenses - Full. (2012). By TheOGRepository. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0<\/a> <\/sup><\/p>\r\nFor further help, you can use the\u00a0Creative Commons Choose a License<\/a>\u00a0tool or the\u00a0license compatibility chart on the Creative Commons wiki<\/a>.\r\n
Step 5: Sharing the OER<\/h3>\r\nSharing open educational resources can be difficult, so developing a workflow for sharing your content through repositories and community networks will help to increase the reach of your work. The Sharing OER <\/a>chapter will cover strategies in developing a workflow.\r\n
Significant Creation Considerations<\/h2>\r\nWhile the general process for creating OER is outlined in the video above, there are several significant issues that should be considered prior to creating your resource. These considerations aren\u2019t specific to what you create and the license you attach but address how you plan your resource before it is developed to ensure the greatest potential of your content for yourself and others.\r\n
Sharing in an Open Environment<\/h3>\r\nA common issue encountered by those engaging in OER creation is the desire to use content that was already created for the classroom environment. The difficulty with using previously developed educational content is often you have not considered the licensing and attribution processes needed in OER development \u2014 mainly making sure that the existing materials can be included in your newly-created open learning resource. Many of the materials you use in courses are likely copyrighted, or you might not have taken note of the licensing or attribution information to make sure they are open. Often retroactively trying to find the licenses can be difficult because the attributions to the original resources are missing.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re adapting an existing resource, you\u2019ve likely used images, graphs or charts to illustrate your lectures, handouts or modules under Fair Dealing<\/a>. However, according to UBC Copyright\u2019s guidelines for open courses and OER<\/a>, Fair Dealing exceptions cannot be relied upon<\/strong> in open environments since the audience is not limited to registered students.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n - What are the Learning Objectives?<\/strong> This is a great question to consider if you\u2019re involving students in creating OER. For example, if you want to have students contribute to the project through posting their assignments or papers, or have them help create content for your project, then a Blog or WordPress site is much better suited to that than Pressbooks where, for example, you would have to request permission to have extra accounts made.<\/li>\r\n \t
- What am I trying to achieve with this OER?<\/strong> This will impact your tool decision because of the different features these platforms offer. For example, if you are writing a textbook and you want to achieve a higher level of student engagement, you might be better off choosing Pressbooks (which offers H5P capabilities) over the UBC Wiki, which has no interactive opportunities for students.<\/li>\r\n \t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2593\/2026\/02\/reflection-150x150.jpg\")
<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\nIt is good academic and scholarly practice to always provide citation when using or building off of other people\u2019s work. Additionally, tracking your resources so you can update or refer back to the source will help eliminate the guesswork and gray zones for using the resource and making the transition from closed to open smoother.\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2593\/2025\/11\/Dig-Deeper-2-150x150.png\")
<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n