Maastricht University

Sometimes you need additional or more varied resources, but the budget is limited. Sometimes you collaborate with colleagues from other institutes to create educational resources, or you want to offer others than your own students the opportunity to take courses developed by you. The use of open educational resources (OER) offers unique advantages for lecturers because using OER is an invitation to customise, personalise and add relevance to materials that inspire and encourage deeper learning.

Open-licensed educational resources can provide valuable and interesting supplementary or even primary educational resources. Sometimes students need additional material or material in a different format. As an instructor, you sometimes need to create new material to explain a concept in your lectures. Making use of what others have already created can help inspire or build a collection (sometimes with modifications) in an efficient and inexpensive or cost-free scenario.

Sharing educational resources

In a variety of situations, OER can provide content where it was not previously available, or replace expensive proprietary material (e.g. textbooks, where cost savings can be an important motivating factor for the adoption of OER). The Maastricht University Library offers support to lecturers and students in finding, using, adapting, creating, and sharing OER in their courses, programmes or projects.

Our support includes:

• Workshops and training on digital skills focused on OER, open knowledge and open education
• Copyright and open licensing
• Use of licensed and open resources in online learning environments
• Customised dedicated advice for individuals, courses and research projects wishing to use or create open educational resources
• Advice and support Open Textbook creation, including appropriate publication strategy through Maastricht University Press

Need help?

For advice and guidance on OER, open education, copyright, and open licensing, please contact us at: edusources-ub@maastrichtuniversity.nl