Finding ALG Open Educational Resources
To find the materials created by our USG grantees and the University of North Georgia Press partnership, visit the following sites:
OpenALG
Our new home for OER using the Manifold platform. OpenALG allows us to convert static files into web-readable, accessible, and annotatable open textbooks.
GALILEO Open Learning Materials Repository
A searchable index of OER using the Digital Commons platform. Along with housing our older files and linking to our new OER, we use this repository to bring all of our resources into GALILEO's library search tools.
Finding OER Across The Globe: Start Small, End Big
Starting Small: Browsing Collections
When you’re starting to look for open textbooks, start small. If you know about an open textbook provider in your particular subject area, or a smaller curated collection that may have a textbook for your course, start there instead of searching through a larger index or database. For example, check out these smaller collections:
- OpenStax
- LibreTexts
- NOBA Project (Psychology)
- American Institute of Mathematics: Approved Textbooks
- Open Textbook Library
- BCCampus Open Ed
Ending Big: Searching
OASIS OER Search Tool
After you have looked within smaller collections, it’s time to end big by searching in larger OER databases and indexes. This can be daunting, but luckily there’s OASIS, an easy-to-use search tool developed and curated by a team at SUNY Geneseo. Within OASIS, narrow your search by subject by clicking “advanced search,” or do a basic search and narrow the list by subject.
Other places to search for OER include:
- MERLOT (California State University)
- OER Commons (Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education)
- Mason OER Metafinder (George Mason University)
Why use Open Textbooks?
Commercial textbook costs are still high for United States college students, and the causes for this are complex and changing over time. Open Textbooks are accessible on day one for students with zero cost, and open licenses permit customization to fit your students’ exact needs in the classroom.
Through the 5R Permissions of Open, students have free and equal access to materials which can enable new forms of teaching and learning, contributing to more Georgia students’ retention and progression.