Establish your need--what are your course goals/ISLO?
What percentage of your class will use OER? For example, do you need an entire book or just some supplementary materials?
Are you looking for a single resource that will cover everything, or are you willing to adapt and combine several sources?
Search
Use what you want to find to guide your search terms. If you are looking for a full course, brainstorm ways other schools name it. For example, ENGL 1301 is often English Composition. If you are looking for supplementary materials, try searching by key terms for the topic.
Keep a list of sites you have searched and keywords you have used.
Ask other OER adopters in your discipline what materials they use.
Ask your librarian to help you search for OERs or for library resources that might fill in gaps.
Consult TCC's instructional designers for resources already shared in Canvas, such as the course digital media toolkits.
Evaluate--This stage is different from selecting a traditional textbook, so please consider these criteria carefully.
Quality: What are the qualifications of the author? Has the resource been peer-reviewed? Does it fit your teaching style?
Adaptability: If needed, does the license allow you to adapt? How much time will it take you to update or make it fit your class?
Relevancy to your ISLOs: Is the content accurate and up to date? Is it aligned with your learning outcomes?
Technical Quality: Do the links work? Is the licensing (Creative Commons or other) stated? Are any visuals or media clear and current?
