The Open Learning team supports faculty and staff with their open projects. This guide will cover adopting and adapting OER, our project development phases, and how we support you. To learn more, please complete our intake form or connect with us at openlearning@conestogac.on.ca.

Adopt: Using an open educational resource (OER) "as-is", without the need for edits or other changes/updates.

Adapt: Using one or more OER but making minor or more substantial changes to the work(s), depending on the license of the original OER. Adaptations might include updating content, remixing, creating a new work from combining others, for example.

Create: Making a new OER from scratch. You might source material from your own experience, research, or other OER.

We have developed a process for making sense of what OERs are out there that relate to your course or area of interest, aligning resources that aren't exactly what you're looking for, and creating new ones to fill gaps in knowledge.  

"Many educators feel driven to create the “perfect” resources for their classes and it can be difficult put aside that perfection and use other people’s creations. However, the number, variety, and quality of OER available freely is such that any educator should be able to find resources they can readily (with or without adaptations) put to use within their classrooms. And adaptation or adoption of OER will almost always be more efficient than creating teaching materials from scratch." (Moist, 2017).

Start simple! Consider adding some open interactive elements from eCampusOntario's H5P Studio into a course, or look for an open textbook. Take a look at existing resources for an open textbook. There may be one that meets your needs without much tinkering required. If not, then consider adapting or creating an open textbook.