This guide includes collections of Open Educational Resources and other freely available resources. Quality, accessibility, and copyright of the materials may vary. Similar to traditional course materials, many OERs go through peer-review to ensure the quality of the resources. OER collections often state their peer-review processes as well as provide the reviews online. It is important to note whether or not an OER has gone through peer-review when evaluating the resource.
OER repositories (MERLOT II, OER Commons, Open Textbook Library) often have a combination of initial peer-review or required criteria for inclusion in addition to open evaluations by users. University of Michigan, Yale University, and other higher education institutions provide access to OERs used at their institutions. Whether or not they are peer-reviewed, their inclusion on the institutions' website indicates that the resources are being used by peers.
Many universities have followed MIT's lead and model for open courseware (OCW). OCW Course materials are freely accessible but no certificates or degrees are granted by the institution. The intent is to share knowledge and resources with all who interested in learning.
More information about Open Courseware is available at the Open Courseware Consortiumsite.
Introduction to Food Production and Service
OER textbook for our Food Production and Service class at Penn State.