Tools to create OER
Low-tech Tools:
- MS Word files
- PDF files
- Google Docs
Medium-Tech Tools
- A website (e.g. Wix)
- Pressbooks – book formatting software
- OER Commons Open Author
High-Tech Tools
- Jupyter Notebook is an open-source web application that allows you to create and share documents that contain live code, equations, visualizations and narrative text.
- Book "teaching and Learning with Jupyter"
- GitBook created by GitHub for technical documents
Pressbooks
Pressbooks is supported by eCampusOntario, who has made it freely available for all Ontario post-secondary educators, learners, and staff to create and adapt open textbooks.
Some of the key features of Pressbooks[1]:
- Write once, publish many: Pressbooks makes it easy to export well-formatted publications in multiple outputs (PDF, EPUB, and more)
- WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Editor for familiar creation: Creating right in Pressbooks is similar to creating a Word document with a bit more fun added into the mix.
- Easily clone other openly licensed content created in Pressbooks to adapt for any teaching and learning context.
- Accessible: Web-based resources built in Pressbooks are by default designed to be accessible and compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies. Keep in mind there are other key elements you need to consider when creating to make your resource more accessible and inclusive.
- Easily add users with various roles and permissions to enable collaboration on a resource.
- Familiarity of the traditional textbook, but with the ability to move the medium forward and become more of a learning environment.
References
- Mastering Open Ed: Licensing, Accessibility, Creation, and Publishing OER. (2023). eCampusOntario. OER – The What and Why – Mastering Open Ed: Licensing, Accessibility, Creation, and Publishing OER (pressbooks.pub)