Contents: Sponsored by eCampusOntario and the government of Ontario, the Open Library provides over 500 openly-licensed educational resources to students. The resources in this library include, but are not limited to; textbooks, laboratory manuals, ebooks, citation guides, and exhibition catalogues.
When to Use: These resources highly benefit educators who want to offer free, accessible course materials to students. Additionally, students who desire supplemental resources to guide their learning, for formal educational or personal development purposes, would find this library especially useful.
Benefits: Benefits of the Open Library include the diversity of subject-matter topics (i.e. psychology, mathematics, arts, science) that are offered in English and French. Further, the library’s collection shows strong potential to grow as users are encouraged to submit their suggestions of open resources, which are then reviewed by educators in the OER’s respective field. If users wish to create their own open educational resources, Open Library is partnered with Pressbook, an online publishing system, to offer free EDU accounts to individuals associated with its member associations.
Limitations: The drawbacks with Open Library primarily pertain to the lack of search filters to organize resources so users can find exactly what they are looking for. Higher variety among the resource formats would be useful; a vast majority of these OERs are open textbooks.
Audience: This resource targets post-secondary students and educators. While some content can be used for lower grade-levels (i.e. high-school), the vast majority of resources cater to the university-level curricula.
Contents: Saylor Academy is a non-profit organization that offers around 100 free fully-developed courses that can be used to earn college and university credits with their partnered institutions. The organization also offers certificates of completion to students who complete their accredited programs. A wide selection of subjects are available for students of varying educational backgrounds and interests including biology, computer science, art, history, business communication, professional development, and mathematics. When to Use: This platform is a great alternative for students who want to earn tuition-free credits towards their university or college program. Similarly, individuals who seek to develop their skill set for career development opportunities can benefit especially from Saylor Academy’s professional development courses or earn a free certification in their area of interest. Benefits: Saylor Academy’s wide variety of course disciplines cater to individuals belonging to diverse educational interests. Users of Saylor Academy also have access to examinations and academic assessments from their open courses which allows them to receive a final grade and certification for their work. Unlike other open courses, these examinations are free of charge to the user. Limitations: A considerable drawback is that Saylor Academy appears to only be partnered with American universities and colleges for their credit-completion program. Audience: The primary audiences are college and university students seeking free alternatives to their degree or certification completion requirements. Educators can also benefit from the lessons or textbook chapters available on the website. Source:https://www.saylor.org/ Photo: “Academy Icon” by Vaadin Icons is licensed under CC BY 4.0
The UNC at Chapel Hill Writing Centre (Savindi Jinasena)
The UNC at Chapel Hill Writing Centre's "Tip's & Tools" section provides students at the institution and outside of it with many resources that could benefit the writing process. The "Tips & Tools" section is divided into five parts: including digital handouts and videos.
Writing the Paper- includes access to digital handouts and videos focusing on: arguments, conclusions, thesis statements, fallacies etc.
Citation, Style, and Sentence Level Concerns- provides access to digital handouts and videos focusing on gender-inclusive language, world choice, commas etc.
Specific Writing Assignments or Contexts- provides resources focusing on writing abstracts, dissertations, literature reviews, annotated bibliographies etc.
Writing for Specific Fields- This section provides handouts on how to write in fields such as anthropology, history, sociology and others.
Additional Resources- offers information specific to the UNC academic calendar.
When someone might use the Tips & Tools section Students can access the Tips & Tools section at any point in their writing process. However, the earlier students access it, the better it will be for their writing and well being (it would help ease their anxieties as they work on their assignments). They can also access the section if they are curious about what writing for different fields looks like (i.e. which citation styles are preferred, what information is included and what kind of assignments are expected.
Benefits and limitations of the Tips & Tools Section Benefits
Free access to students inside and outside of the university
The resources offered to take into account the various writing stages and different disciplines students will write in.
For non-native English speakers, the website provides an "English Language guides" section, including information on language resources and scholarly communication and culture.
Limitations
It is unclear how students with disabilities have access to this section.
While the website has a section for Grad Students, it does not have any information focusing on what kind of writing is expected in graduate studies.
It does not have a section on writing for technological and education fields.
The Audience The audience for Tips & Tools is most likely going to be students; however, educators will also find it quite useful.