Evaluate OERs
You may need to evaluate the Open Educational Resources (OER) to determine if they are suitable to use.
OER evaluation checklist
Use this simple checklist to quickly decide whether the OER is appropriate for your purposes. Refer to the evaluation tools in the next box if you want to comprehensively evaluate the OER.
| Criteria | Appropriate | Not appropriate |
|---|---|---|
| Openly licensed | ||
| CC licence allows modification and adaptation | ||
| CC licence allows reuse | ||
| Public domain | ||
| Content suitability | ||
| Aligns with course objectives | ||
| Comprehensive coverage of subject matter | ||
| Suitable for my students' level | ||
| Content is current or up-to-date | ||
| Quality | ||
| Reputable author, professional affiliations are provided | ||
| Accurate content – error-free, unbiased, no spelling or grammatical errors | ||
| Video, diagrams and other supplementary materials are relevant and well-designed | ||
| Ease of use | ||
| Structure is well-organised | ||
| Organisation of topics is logical and clear | ||
| Interface is easy to navigate | ||
| Clear and consistent use of elements and terminology | ||
| Diversity and inclusion | ||
| Content is designed to meet accessibility standards | ||
| Presents diverse perspectives and viewpoints, inclusive of different identities, ethnicities and backgrounds | ||
| Does not include insensitive or offensive viewpoints |
“OER evaluation checklist” is adapted from “BCcampus Open Education Textbook Review Rubric” by BCcampus Open Education, CC BY 4.0 which is a derivative of the “Peer Review criteria” used by Saylor Academy which is a derivative of the review rubric by College Open Textbooks. OER evaluation checklist” by the University of Queensland Library is shared under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Icon: “Evaluate” by HideMaru, CC BY 3.0, via the Noun Project.
- OER evaluation checklist (docx,60KB)Downloadable version of the checklist
Comprehensive evaluation tools
- Rubrics for evaluating OERsAn evaluation system for objects found within Open Education Resources, developed by Achieve, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization dedicated to working with states to raise academic standards, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. It can be applied across content areas and object types.
- Achieve OER RubricsEvaluation system for OERs
- Equity rubric for OER evaluationEvaluate instructional materials for equity.
- How to use the Equity rubric for OER evaluation and the EmpoweredOER siteInformation on how to use the rubric to evaluate a resource you already have or fill an equity gap.