Dr. Rory McGreal discusses how to maximize the use of OER in courses using AI. Faculty can begin by identifying reputable OER repositories, such as BCcampus, OpenStax, MERLOT, and OER Commons, to locate relevant textbooks, multimedia, and interactive content. Curating and adapting these resources to align with course objectives ensures they meet specific educational needs. AI-generated lessons and courses can also be an important source of customizable lessons, lesson plans, quizzes and related content. All AI-generated content resides in the public domain and so can be included as OER. Educators must critically evaluate AI-generated content for accuracy before integration. Collaboration with peers through OER platforms fosters resource sharing and continuous improvement. Incorporating student feedback further refines OER effectiveness, ensuring materials remain engaging and accessible. By adopting open licenses (e.g., Creative Commons), instructors can also create specific lessons and courses, contributing them back to the OER community, sustaining a cycle of innovation. Ultimately, strategic OER adoption promotes equitable access, fosters pedagogical flexibility, and supports dynamic, cost-effective education.

Keywords

open educational practices · OER · artificial intelligence · AI · repositories · open license · effectiveness