Open Educational Resources, also known as OER, are pedagogical materials intentionally created to reside in the public domain or exist under an open license. OER material varies in presentation, occurring in many forms and mediums. Generally, textbooks are the most frequently cited OER materials and have clear financial benefits (Colvard et al., 2018), “...breaking down barriers of affordability and accessibility” (Penn State University, 2023). Additionally, use of OER indicates better student performance in the form of better grades and lower failure rates (Colvard et al., 2018; Feldstein et al., 2012).
Research and discussion surrounding OER are primarily focused on student achievement. Educators, however, are also a part of this ever-changing digital landscape and have endless opportunities to engage in finding reasonable solutions to lessen workload. One way in which OER can benefit educators is through free imaging. If you need to find the perfect image for your course banner or want to spruce up your lecture slides, OER images are here to help.
The good news is that many OER imaging websites exist. Remembering or bookmarking each site, however, can be a tedious task. Thankfully, several databases containing the best OER imaging websites exist! To save time, meet copyright regulations, and find the perfect image for you, we recommend the following OER image databases:
- Arkansas State University Database (https://libguides.astate.edu/oer/images)
- Austin Community College Database (https://researchguides.austincc.edu/oer/images)
- SHSU Newton Gresham Library (https://shsulibraryguides.org/oer)
- Smithsonian Open Access (https://www.si.edu/openaccess)
Each database contains several OER imaging websites. ASU’s database provides various leading websites that offer high-resolution images, while ACC’s database contains several subject specific websites for more individualized projects.
While exploring these databases or if you have any questions regarding OER, please contact SHSU Online Operations Research Associates for assistance (Cailyn N. Dougherty, cnd011@shsu.edu or Kaitlyn M. Pederson, kmp071@shsu.edu).
References
Arkansas State University. (2023). Libguides: Open Educational Resources (OER): Free images. Free Images - Open Educational Resources (OER) - LibGuides at Dean B. Ellis Library. Retrieved from https://libguides.astate.edu/oer/images
Austin Community College. (2023). Open Educational Resources: Open Images, Audio & Video. Retrieved from https://researchguides.austincc.edu/oer/images
Colvard, N. B., Watson, C. E., & Park, H. (2018). The impact of open educational resources on various student success metrics. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(2), 262-276.
Feldstein DPS, A. P., Martin, M., Hudson, A., Warren, K., Hilton III, J., & Wiley, D. (2012). Open textbooks and increased student access and outcomes. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning.
Penn State University. (2023). Benefits of using OER. Retrieved from https://oer.psu.edu/benefits-of-using-oer/