“Adapting” is commonly used to describe the process of making changes to an existing work. Besides the cost savings for students, a main benefit to using an OER is that you can edit the content to fit your needs. This is possible when an OER is released under an open license, usually a Creative Commons license. This license gives users permission to reuse and edit a resource without requesting permission from the author.
There are many ways that you could adapt an OER, including:
Customize the OER for your course by removing irrelevant chapters or sections, adding new content, or reorganizing content to match how subject material is presented in your course
Make the resource more accessible for students with disabilities
Update the resource with current information
Add different media or links to other resources
Create supplementary content for a resource, such as exercises
What follows is an outline of the process of adapting an OER.
Make sure that you have permission to adapt the resource by identifying its license. If the resource does not have a Creative Commons license that includes the No Derivative (ND) element, then you can make your changes freely.
If a resource has not been released under an open license, you can contact the copyright holder, which may be the author or publisher, depending on the publishing agreement, to request permission to adapt the resource. See the Adaptation Guide for specific considerations relating to adapting a restricted textbook with permission.
To make changes to an OER, you will need a copy of the resource in an editable file format. Formats might include Pressbooks or WordPress files (.xml or .wxr), HTML files, Word or Google documents, simple text files, EPUB, or LaTeX files. If the files are not freely available, consider contacting the author. See the Rebus Guide for a list of formats and editability.
Consider keeping a list of the changes you make to the OER. Track the content that you add to the OER so that you can be properly credited for your contributions. If you add content from other openly licensed material, make sure you note the source so that you can include the appropriate attribution statements.
If you are adapting an OER that was released under a license that requires attribution, then you must acknowledge the author of the original work, the copyright holder, the license of the original work, and what substantive changes were made. Consider including an adaptation statement with your work, which will provide the reader with this information. To see some example adaptation statements, see the Adaptation Guide.
Adapted from “Open Educational Resources: Adapt” by Worcester Polytechnic Institute which is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license
"Creating Open Educational Resources" by Abbey Elder is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.
Creating an OER follows the same process as creating any other teaching materials, including textbooks. The only difference is the license you ultimately attach to the work. The open licenses also allow for more flexibility in reusing existing resources so that you don't always have to create everything from scratch to make an ideal resource.
Below is a list of design tips to create sharable, reusable OER:
Start with what’s there: Look to existing collections with quality resources, such as the Open Textbook Library. Also consider materials that you've created, which may be available offline.
Make it accessible: It's important to ensure that the resources you create are accessible to all learners. Note that it is more work to make existing OER accessible than it is to create an accessible OER from the start. Use an accessibility checklist to guide your work.
Make it adaptable: The more modular your content is, the easier it is for future users to reuse it. If you’re working on an open textbook, separate your content by chapter and subchapter. If possible, provide a version of your resource in an editable format, such as .docx or Google Docs.
Make it open: Select and clearly display the Creative Commons license for your resource. If you integrate other materials into your resource, select those that are open. See Understand Creative Commons Licenses for information on choosing a suitable open license.
Make it discoverable: Consider the best platform for sharing the resource with others. Select appropriate descriptors to make your OER discoverable.
Adapted from “Open Educational Resources and Penn State Abington Library – Creating OER” which is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license and was adapted from "The OER Toolkit" by Colleges Libraries Ontario (CLO) and the Ontario Colleges Library Service (OCLS) and is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
