1. Does the textbook you have chosen align with your student learning outcomes and course objectives?
2. Is it appropriate for your specific audience and purpose?
3. Is it credible and authentic? (Who created it and what qualifications do they have? Is it peer reviewed?)
4. How are you allowed to use the textbook? What licenses and/or restrictions (if any) does it have associated with it? (See "Creative Commons Licenses" box)
5. Are supplemental resources and tools available? Is there a fee to access this?
6. Can it integrate with any learning management systems?
7. Is the material accessible for all your students?
8. Does the platform offer user support? Is there a phone number or contact person? Are they available 24/7
Click the attachment below for a short checklist you can use to evaluate your Open Educational Resources. This checklist was found on the University of Illinois' Library website on their LibGuide, "Open Educational Resources (OER)."
A Creative Commons license is a copyright license chosen by a work's creator to grant free distribution of a work following certain guidelines of the distribution.
Each of the Creative Commons licenses tells you what you have permission to do with the content. Some allow you to reuse content without modifying, others allow you to modify. Some licenses permit you to use content as long as you attribute the original creator. Some only allow you to use content non-commercially.