OER Success at John Jay
Faculty OER Self-Training

Faculty OER Self-Training

Empowering Open Education: Interactive Tools for Faculty

As educators, navigating Open Educational Resources (OER) and open-access scholarship is essential to fostering equitable learning environments. To make these concepts concrete, we developed two interactive applications designed to reinforce core OER topics. Beyond their immediate utility, these tools open up exciting opportunities for faculty to explore how modern “vibe coding” app builders can be leveraged to rapidly design custom, interactive learning materials without traditional coding barriers.

Our Goals

  • Demystifying Creative Commons Licensing: This application provides an interactive environment where users actively identify, understand, and apply licensing parameters to master how Creative Commons (CC) conditions protect creators and foster collaboration.
  • Clarifying Open Access vs. OER: This application features a dynamic comparative tool that helps users clearly delineate the boundaries between open access resources and reusable instructional materials.
Creative Commons (CC) licenses allow creators to grant public permission to use, share, and adapt their work while retaining copyright ownership. In academia, these open licenses are widely used for Open Educational Resources (OER), such as textbooks, course chapters, instructional materials, and student assignments. Creative Commons licensing helps faculty expand access to learning materials, reduce student costs, support collaboration, and encourage innovation in teaching and learning. Access this learning tool here.
When developing an OER resource, distinguishing between Open Access (OA) and OER is critical because of permissions. While OA literature is typically free to read, it often retains traditional copyright protections that limit your ability to alter, remix, or redistribute the work. Conversely, true OER explicitly grants the “5 Rs” (retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute), usually via Creative Commons licensing. Understanding this distinction from the start ensures you can confidently and legally reuse content, safely blend materials, and build a truly customizable resource for your students. Access this learning tool here.