OER Commons
A dynamic digital library and network where educators discover, create, and collaborate to improve teaching and learning with open educational resources.
Making quality education accessible and affordable for everyone through freely available, openly licensed teaching and learning materials that can be used, adapted, and shared without cost.
Explore Resources →The Educational Access Challenge
Students and educators face major barriers that limit access to quality learning materials:
The core problems:
- High costs of textbooks and learning materials prevent student success
- Traditional publishers control what materials teachers can use
- Locked content cannot be customized for diverse student needs
- Educators work in isolation instead of sharing best practices
- Quality teaching materials are not equally available to all students
What are Open Educational Resources? OER are teaching and learning materials that you can freely use and reuse at no cost. Unlike traditional copyrighted materials, OER have open licenses (usually Creative Commons) that allow teachers and students to use, adapt, improve, and share them legally and at no cost.
How OER Commons Creates Change
OER Commons provides a comprehensive platform that makes open education practical, accessible, and impactful.
Our distinctive approach combines four key elements:
📚 Digital Library
Searchable collection of 50,000+ curated open educational resources aligned to standards
✏️ Creation Tools
Open Author platform lets educators build, adapt, and remix accessible OER content
🤝 Collaboration
Groups and Hubs bring educators together to share, review, and improve resources
🎓 Professional Learning
Award-winning training programs help educators find, evaluate, and use OER effectively
What makes OER Commons different:
- Comprehensive metadata: Advanced search with filters for grade level, subject, standards alignment, and license type
- Quality review: Resources evaluated for alignment to Common Core and quality rubrics
- Accessibility focus: Open Author produces materials compatible with screen readers and assistive technology
- Community enrichment: Users tag, rate, and review materials to help others find what works
- Interoperability: Works with learning management systems and other educational platforms
- Global reach: Supports educators and learners worldwide across multiple languages
Created in 2007 by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), OER Commons began with a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The goal was to create a network where educators could discover high-quality OER and collaborate around their use, evaluation, and improvement.
Platform Features and Tools
Search and Discover
Find resources by subject, grade level, material type, standards, and Creative Commons license.
Start Searching →Open Author
Create and remix multimedia accessible OER with collaborative workflows for content creators and reviewers.
Start Creating →Groups
Organize, share, and discuss resources within public or private groups. Tag resources and create collections.
Join Groups →Hubs
Custom resource centers where projects, districts, and states bring educators together around common goals.
Explore Hubs →Microsites
Fully customized sites with unique URLs and taxonomies for institutions and organizations.
Learn More →Professional Development
In-person and virtual workshops to develop OER skills and a collaborative commons mindset.
View Programs →What you can do with OER Commons:
- Browse curated collections: Explore resource sets organized by topic, grade level, or educational initiative
- Filter by license: Find materials with the exact Creative Commons permissions you need
- Align to standards: Use embedded Common Core State Standards alignment tools
- Review for quality: Apply rubrics like Achieve OER Rubric to evaluate content
- Add your own resources: Use OER-Connector browser plug-in to contribute materials
- Remix and adapt: Use Open Author to customize existing OER for your students' needs
- Integrate with LMS: Connect OER directly to platforms like Blackboard and Canvas
- Collaborate globally: Join communities of practice focused on improving education
The 5Rs of OER: Open licenses give you five key freedoms: Retain (keep copies), Reuse (use in any way), Revise (adapt and modify), Remix (combine with other OER), and Redistribute (share with others). These freedoms transform how educators can serve their students.
Measurable Impact
Key Milestones and Achievements:
- 2007: OER Commons launched with Hewlett Foundation support. ISKME named Education Laureate by San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation.
- 2010: Released OER-Connector browser plug-in on GitHub. Named finalist for Qatar Foundation WISE Awards.
- 2011: Won Award for Bodies which Influence Policy from Open Educational Quality Initiative (OPAL). Added Common Core alignment tools and Achieve OER Rubric.
- 2012: Released Open Author authoring and remixing environment for accessible OER creation.
- 2014: Rebranded as curated public digital library. Began managing National Science Digital Library microsite.
- 2017: American Association of School Librarians recognized OER Commons as one of the nation's best websites for teaching and learning.
- 2019: Supported UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational Resources adoption.
- 2022: Celebrated 20 years of ISKME advancing open education and knowledge sharing.
Research and Evidence:
- ISKME research shows teachers' exposure to OER cultivates collaboration and reflection about teaching practice
- Studies reveal that as content creation group size increases, user engagement and continued participation rises
- Professional development programs successfully help educators develop a "commons" mindset
- Quality evaluation tools and standards alignment support state curriculum committees and individual instructors
- Accessibility features ensure content works with assistive technology devices like screen readers
Notable Partnerships and Services:
- California Community Colleges OERI (Open Educational Resources Initiative)
- Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER)
- Learning Registry - US Department of Education and Defense interoperability initiative
- UNESCO OER Dynamic Coalition - supporting global OER implementation
- State departments of education, school districts, and higher education systems worldwide
- Individual educators, curriculum specialists, and instructional designers across all levels
How to Get Started with OER
Explore the Library
Search 50,000+ resources by subject, grade, standards, and license. Save favorites to your profile.
Start Exploring →Create an Account
Free profile lets you curate, save, share resources, and use Open Author creation tools.
Sign Up Free →Take Training
Join professional development workshops to learn OER basics, copyright, and creation skills.
View Courses →Join a Group
Connect with educators in your field. Share resources, collaborate, and build collections together.
Find Groups →Contribute Resources
Share your own openly licensed materials. Use the OER-Connector plugin to add resources easily.
Contribute →Review and Rate
Help other educators by rating and reviewing resources you've used. Share what works.
Start Rating →For Institutions and Organizations:
- Custom Microsites: Host your OER collections with unique branding and taxonomy at your own URL
- Hub Creation: Bring groups of educators together around common goals with customizable resource centers
- Professional Development: In-person and virtual OER workshops tailored to your institution's needs
- Technical Support: Integration with learning management systems and institutional repositories
- Research Services: Evaluation and assessment of OER impact on teaching and learning
- Policy Consultation: Support for developing OER policies and implementation strategies
Getting Started Tips: Start small by finding one resource to use. Try the advanced search to filter by your subject and grade level. Look for resources with good ratings and reviews from other educators. Join a group in your field to learn from experienced OER users. Take the free OER Basics course to understand Creative Commons licenses.
About the Organization
🏢 Parent Organization
ISKME - Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education
📅 Founded
ISKME: 2002, OER Commons: 2007
📍 Location
Half Moon Bay, California (Silicon Valley)
⚖️ Legal Status
501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 41-2045091)
Leadership:
- Dr. Lisa Petrides — Founder and CEO of ISKME. Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University. Former professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. UNESCO OER Dynamic Coalition Chair for Working Group on Sustainability. President, San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees.
ISKME Mission: To make learning and knowledge sharing more participatory, equitable, and open. ISKME believes that the development of equitable and inclusive learning environments will contribute to the creation of a more just society.
Core Values:
- Participatory: Everyone can contribute to improving education
- Equitable: Quality learning materials accessible to all regardless of ability to pay
- Open: Freely available resources that can be adapted to local needs
- Collaborative: Educators working together are more effective than working alone
- Evidence-Based: Research and evaluation drive continuous improvement
Major Funders and Partners:
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (founding and continuing support)
- Ford Foundation (teacher professional development)
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Big Ideas in Beta innovation program)
- US Department of Education (Learning Registry)
- US Department of Defense (Learning Registry)
- UNESCO (OER Recommendation implementation)
- State education agencies and systems nationwide
Contact Information:
- OER Commons: info@oercommons.org
- ISKME General: info@iskme.org
- Website: oercommons.org
- ISKME Website: iskme.org
