FREE OA AND OER RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH and LEARNERS EVERYWHERE:

 

 

 

(OA = OPEN ACCESS     OER = OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES)

 

 

 

OBJECTIVE:  This website is devoted to curating and showcasing free educational and academic resources in a variety of disciplines --Open Access materials are designed to promote learning, reflection, and scholarship.  

This website will continue to feature the best free student-oriented and scholarly resources for research, study, academic reflection, adult learning, Faculty teaching, and immersion in a particular field.

 

 This is the very purpose behind the Open Access (OA) and Open Educational Resources (OER) movement -- to place powerful free databases, new generation search engines, free lecture notes and course materials, well-constructed lesson plans, and free peer-reviewed textbooks before students, scholars, professors, researchers, community activists, and adult learners.

 

This website grew out of two educational grants I was awarded by a U.S. Embassy in Africa --the structure and content of this website is partially based on my teaching seminars arranged through the U.S. Embassy. An example:    FREE DATABASES AND SEARCH ENGINES - 2023

 

 

 

 

 

      OA/OER RESOURCES by ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE are noted in these resources, inludes how to find OA/OER academic resources:

• NEW FACULTY OER TOOLKIT :  includes WHAT IS OER?    and  OER by SUBJECT and LICENSING AND COPYRIGHT ISSUES  
  

• OER BY SUBJECT from the University of West Florida, USA
  

• UNDERSTANDING OERs : AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE LIBRARIES (A SELF-PACED MODULE)
  

• OER RESOURCES and TOOLKITS -- includes definitions and benefits

 

 

• An Explanation of the Benefits of Open Access

• THE LOS ANGELES VALLEY COLLEGE LIBRARY   -- OER BY DISCIPLINE
  

• and THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA's OER BY DISCIPLINE GUIDE (scroll all the way down to view the disciplines ) 

 

 

• MAKING THE CASE FOR OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES:A Publication of the American Association of Colleges and Universities.  THE FULL TEXT OF THIS BOOK IS FOUND HERE:

•  MAKING THE CASE OER.pdf

• TABLES OF CONTENT OF MAKING THE CASE:  

• What Are Open Educational Resources?
• Why Use OER?
• Cost and Student Behavior
• Student and Faculty Perceptions
• Student Success Outcomes
• More Equitable Outcomes
• Summary and Conclusions

   

 

 

• RMIT LIBGUIDE ON OERS (especially useful for STEM fields)
  

• OER COMMONS (CURATED COLLECTIONS) and OER NETWORK HUBS

• MERLOT's ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE PORTALS ("MERLOT is a program of the California State University Long Beach, partnering with educational institutions, professional societies, and industry.")

 

 

• ABOUT OER (from UW-MADISON) and WISC ONLINE

• This site has far greater detail on where to locate OER resources.
  

• A NEW OER WORKBOOK FROM AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TEXAS

 

 

• AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFERS A NEW FREE COURSE MODULE ON OER

• A Definition of OER: What does OER mean?

 

 

• UMKC (U Missouri @ Kansas City) Libraries: Where to Find Free Textbooks 

 

 

• OER TOOLKIT FROM WHITE ROSE LIBRARIES 

 

 

• MERLOT: FACULTY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES  

 

 

 

 

• PLEASE LOCATE OER TEXTBOOKS ON MANY DIFFERENT SUBJECTS FROM THE NEW MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SEARCH ENGINE.  OER = OPEN EDUCATIONAL ACCESS    

• (Type Russian, Geology, Cell Biology, etc., in the Maryland Department of Education Search Engine above; also includes Foreign Language textbooks, featuring Grammar and Pronunciation.

         This Search Engine does include all  subjects.  https://most.oercommons.org/

 

 

• This is a new Search Engine focusing on free Textbooks in all subject areas -- new resources will be found on a daily basis.

 

 

• Another OER SEARCH ENGINE IS OERCOMMONS

 

 

 

 

MEDIA LITERACY & MEDIA ETHICS

 

 

See also DIGITAL LITERACY for related material and resources

 

 

 

  

 

 

• A LITERACY PACK FOR ESL/EFL LEARNERS and TEACHERS (FREE RESOURCES)

 

 

 

 

• Using Open Educational Resources to promote Social Justice 

•  (ALA - American Library Association)

 

 

 

 

 

• WEBSITES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: 2023 version

       WEBSITES for INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS.pdf

          (please click on the .pdf version above ---and then DOWNLOAD - the DOWNLOAD option will appear on the TOP LEFT.) 

 

 

 

  

• OER STARTER KIT (INCLUDES HOW TO FIND OER) - see CONTENTS on the top left

 

 

 

• CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES OER HUB (2023) 

• OERI STEM.  

• OERI Social Sciences

• OERI Humanities 

• OERI CTE & Applied 

• Biotechnology 

• Information Technology

• Criminal Justice System, Criminology, and the Administration of Justice 

• Information Literacy and Intro to Research and Critical Thinking 

 

 

 

• OER: A FIELD GUIDE FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS  (BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY-- IDAHO)         

           Introduction: 

           I. The Case for OER

           II. The Pedagogical Implications of OER

           III. OER Advocacy, Partnerships, Sustainability, and Student Engagement

           IV. Library-Supported Adoption and Creation Programs

 

 

   

• A GUIDE TO OER:  HOW OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CAN HELP STUDENTS and FACULTY
  

       FREE ACADEMIC RESOURCES: A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY

         (by STEPHEN PERRY)

 

 

 

 

 

GENERAL (includes the Open Textbook Library, How to Use EXCEL, Open Access Dissertations and Theses; Critical Thinking Exercises, with Lesson Plans; Tips for Grants and Proposal Writing; MEDIA and DIGITAL LITERACY; NEW PREPRINT SEARCH ENGINES to access the latest research and developments; Student Success, Research Tips;  Writing Resources and Writing Textbooks, and other free resources.)

 

 

 

 

MATHEMATICS, MEDICINE, SCIENCES, AND STEM RESOURCES   

(INCLUDES ASTRONOMY; BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY; a variety of CALCULATORS for Math and Sciences; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENGINEERING;  GENETICS; HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH, HEALTH SCIENCES AND HEALTH LITERACY; MATHEMATICS; MATH CALCULATORS; MEDICINE, NURSING; PHYSICS; SCIENCE & STEM LESSON PLANS; STATISTICS;  ZOOLOGY;  IT/COMPUTER SCIENCE; WOMEN IN SCIENCE and Resources for Science Laboratories)

 

 

STEM= SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING and MATHEMATICS

 

 

 

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS: DEVOTED TO THE LATEST ADVANCES AND INNOVATIONS IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

  

 

 

ENGINEERING: FREE OPEN ACCESS RESOURCES IN ENGINEERING and STEM (ALL FREE) 

 

 

 

OpenSciEd: 

("The project "seeks to ensure any science teacher anywhere can access and download freely available, high-quality, locally adaptable full-course materials." Developed with and for classroom educators, OpenSciEd has a variety of units covering chemistry, physics, health, and more. Though the current focus is on middle school curriculum, the project plans to expand to provide resources for K-12 educators over time. New content is released periodically, and readers can find the Unit Release Schedule under the Instructional Materials tab. In addition to the wealth of instructional resources available, readers will also have access to professional development tools. Users must create a free account to access the materials.")

 

 

 

 

 

AFRICA:

FREE SCHOLARLY RESOURCES FOR AFRICAN STUDENTS and SCHOLARS -- AND STUDENTS / SCHOLARS FOCUSED ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

(Includes many free Academic Databases and free Academic Article Search Engines - now updated with the latest free resources.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR KIDS, BY KIDS (Useful for both ESL/EFL Teachers and those teaching children)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR TEACHERS 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW!

An overhauled ESL WEBSITE lists brand new ESL resources, as well as numerous free, quality, peer-reviewed textbooks in Writing and Composition, and How to Research -- this section is valuable for Educators teaching these topics, or, for those wishing to assign free textbooks for their classrooms.

ESL= ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE  (EFL, ELL, ELT, and similar terms are covered in this new website) - the ESL website also has new (FREE) academic textbooks on how to teach writing, with Lesson Plans, Exercises and Handouts. 

 

NEW! ESL WEBSITES FOR KIDS AND BEGINNING ESL/EFL STUDENTS

 

NEW! 2023 ESL RESOURCES FROM THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES HUB

 

The new ESL WEBSITE

 

 

 A FREE LITERACY PACK FOR ESL/EFL LEARNERS & TEACHERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EVERGREEN RESOURCES 

(covers many subject areas and topics; including Black History Month, 

plus: Calculators for Math and Sciences, including those for RECIPE and METRIC CONVERSIONS, as well as numerous other topics.   All resources are free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: RESOURCES and RESEARCH

(includes Free Textbooks and free Databases for research projects and to stimulate ideas)

 

RELATED:

 FINANCE AND ECONOMIC LESSON PLANS THAT REFLECT REAL WORLD CONDITIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEXTBOOKS/RESOURCES

(from Arabic to Aztec to Maya to Haitian Creole to Hindi to Maya to Uzbek to Vietnamese to Yoruba-- and oh my - so much more!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS: A NEW SEARCH ENGINE THAT SEARCHES for FREE (easily and freely downloadable) Academic TEXTBOOKS IN ALL SUBJECT AREAS IS NOW AVAILABLE:   https://bit.ly/FTEATEXT   

(This Search Engine imagined and created by STEPHEN PERRY) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE OPEN ACCESS DATABASES AND NEW SEARCH ENGINES

(The University of Wisconsin, Superior has written a most useful LIBGUIDE on OERs, detailing their importance on campus as well as the OER GUIDE authored by the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

OER RESOURCES AND TOOLKITS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW CUSTOMIZED SEARCH ENGINES FOR MORE EFFECTIVE RESEARCH

 

SEE THE RELATED:

NEW! GOOGLE SEARCH TIPS  and  NEW GOOGLE SEARCH TOOLS

(from the FREETECH4TEACHERS Website)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL FULBRIGHTERS/ INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS & INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS

(IMPORTANT NOTE: THESE RESOURCES ARE FREE AND FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE WORLD.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE TUTORIALS ON THE RESEARCH PROCESS FROM UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: HOW TO RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY AND HOW TO WRITE UP THE RESULTS OF YOUR RESEARCH

(also includes books and guidelines for insuring Academic and Student Success, especially in student's first year in college -- focuses on how students can study more effectively, and retain what they learned.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

A LESSON PLANS SEARCH ENGINE

(https://bit.ly/LPLANS11) 

 

and

 

FREE LESSON PLANS IN MANY SUBJECT AREAS

(Includes new Lesson Plans on the Holocaust,  as well as Primary Resources on the Holocaust

 and the Federal Reserve, the Bond Market, Currency, Interest Rates, Recessions, the Financial Crisis, and Banking.   These last few are under FINANCE.

 

 

THE LESSON PLANS WEB PAGE ALSO INCLUDES: 

FINANCE AND ECONOMIC LESSON PLANS THAT REFLECT REAL WORLD CONDITIONS

 

 

 

 

 

PARENTS and CAREGIVERS will find MANY RESOURCES TO HELP AND NURTURE KIDS under MORE EDUCATION RESOURCES.

 

 

 

 

 

DATA RESOURCES, DATA VISUALIZATION AND DATA-RELATED WEBSITES (includes Social Media Usage, U.S. Census Information and Climate Science Data)

 

 

 

 

 

A CURATED LIST OF THE BEST and FREE OA / OER RESOURCES, including FREE TEXTBOOKS, FREE RESEARCH DATABASES for the RETRIEVAL of ARTICLES AND RECENT DISSERTATIONS, may be found in this document:   TAMALEFREE 

 

 

 

 

 

A few of the more important and impressive RESEARCH-ORIENTED DIGITIZATION PROJECTS / INITIATIVES -- may be found here:   TAMALEDIGITIZATION

(Again, not a comprehensive listing; rather it is meant to be representative of a few of the more important digitization initiatives)

 

 

OA = Open Access

 

OER= Open Educational Resources

 

 

 

 

 

Let us please remember the words and deeds of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr;

and, let us also reflect on the importance of racial justice, inclusion, and equity, and, how we, as individuals, can make a difference.

Watch five of Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous speeches

     ... and this 1964 interview on his    philosophy of nonviolence

    ... Martin Luther King, Jr.'s History Lessons

    ... Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Classroom and Beyond

          (from NYPL - THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY)

    ... Four of Martin Luther King Jr.'s most iconic speeches

    ... and the story of MLK—in Kid President's words. (via YouTube)

 

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

 

and:

"A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true."                                                                                             - Martin Luther King Jr.

(Italics in both quotations are mine)

 

 

And, one of my favorite quotes: 

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

- Nelson Mandela

 

 

 

 

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ANTI-RACISM STATEMENTS AND CHALLENGES

(Universities in the USA and Canada, IMHO, should publish similar statements, geared towards the specific circumstances found on their campuses)

 

 

 

A Collection of Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Resources from BC Campus, British Columbia, Canada

"The materials, available through a range of modalities and to be accessed in no particular order, are as follows:

• Explore the environmental scan to discover currently available anti-racism and anti-hate resources you can use to develop your own action themes and next steps. 
• Check out the Calls To Action Workbook [PDF] developed by the BCcampus Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Working Group to see how these issues affect racialized and Indigenous people in the post-secondary sector in B.C.
• Watch the Empty Chair webinar to find case studies with actionable information to improve equitable outcomes for anyone in the post-secondary sector.  
• Lock in your learnings by completing the Equity Sequence training (more info below) to evaluate the anti-racism/anti-hate projects at your institution. "

 

 

 

 

RELATED: UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND RACE AND RACISM PROJECT

 

 

 

 

 

EVERGREEN RESOURCES 

(covers many subject areas and topics; all resources are FREE. 

Black History Month,  are covered.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPEECHES:  IDEAS AND TOPICS

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE CLASSROOM HANDOUT for WORKSHOPS OR THE CLASSROOM  

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW! RESOURCES FOR FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS 

Includes free Writing Textbooks and Grant Resources plus Tools for Academic Success.

 

 

 

 

 

ACCESS POINTS TO KNOWLEDGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE FUTURE THAT FASCINATES US?

(Ideas for Classroom Discussion; also includes a guided research project to help and motivate students needing to write a research paper based on evidence.

This site was designed for ESL Students and Teachers from the Intermediate to Advanced levels.

 

This site also includes the very latest medical, technological, engineering and scientific research and discoveries, plus new medical inventions.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NUMBER OF VISITORS TO THIS PAGE:   

 

 

 

 

 

Updates through APRIL 2024

 

 

 

THE FUTURE IS FEMALE.