Open educational resources are any electronic resources available at little or no cost that can be used for teaching, learning, or research; such materials are generally released under a Creative Commons or similar license that supports open or nearly open use of the content; they can include textbooks, course readings, and other learning content; simulations, games, and other learning applications; syllabi, quizzes, and assessment tools; and virtually any other material that can be used for educational purposes (7 Things You Should Know about Open Educational Resources, 2010)
I believe that open educational resources are great features that the Internet provides for instructors, especially for instructors in less-developed countries; that is, open educational resources allow instructors access to timely materials to support their teaching—materials that would otherwise never be available to them. Especially, some materials resources can be modified, remixed, and redistributed, or they may only be used in their original form (7 Things You Should Know about Open Educational Resources, 2010)
One of open education resources is open textbook which have emerged as a result of raising textbook price. Open textbooks are high-quality college texts offered online under a license that allows free digital access and low-cost print options; students can read the full text free online, download a printable PDF, or purchase a hard copy at a fraction of the cost of traditional books, and instructors can tailor the text to better fit a course by removing unneeded chapters or adding new material (Open Textbooks, 2011).
Sometimes open texts are developed by teams of authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who are paid by academic departments or supported through grants, developed by authors and other creators who might believe that publication may enhance their careers, or by these individuals may receive financial compensation through sales of printed copies (7 Things You Should Know about Open Textbook Publishing, 2010)
Some of open textbook sites:
Flat World Knowledge: http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/
Textbook Media: http://www.textbookmedia.com/
Curriki: http://www.curriki.org/
References:
7 Things You Should Know about Open Educational Resources. (2010). http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7061.pdf
Open Textbook. 2011. http://www.studentpirgs.org/open-textbooks
7 Things You Should Know about Open Textbook Publishing. (2010). http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7070.pdf
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