Course Materials — myTech@Newark
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Free, flexible course materials that reduce student costs and support teaching innovation. Find open textbooks, build reading lists, and get started on day one.
Get Started with OER Talk to a Librarian →
$0
Student cost for OER course materials
OpenStax
Peer-reviewed open textbooks across disciplines
Leganto
Build OER reading lists linked directly to Canvas
I Want To…
Start with what you need, then follow the path to the right tool or support.
Find an open textbook
Search OER repositories for peer-reviewed textbooks in your discipline.
Browse OER →
Build a course reading list
Add OER and library materials to a Leganto list published directly in Canvas.
Use Leganto →
Apply for OAT funding
Get a stipend for replacing a commercial textbook with OER.
Learn about OAT →
Add OER to Canvas
Embed open readings, videos, and simulations in your Canvas course modules.
Canvas integration →
Get librarian help
Request a consultation to find OER, build a reading list, or check licensing.
Get support →
What Are OER?
Open Educational Resources are freely available teaching and learning materials you can use, adapt, and share.
About OER
Free materials that work for your course
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are freely available to use, adapt, and redistribute. Unlike commercial textbooks, OER can be customized to fit your course — and students access them immediately at no cost.
OER include full textbooks, individual chapters, articles, videos, simulations, and entire course packages. Many are peer-reviewed and regularly updated by academic communities.
Textbooks
Articles
Videos
Simulations
Course Packages
Modules
OER in Action
"A sociology instructor replaced a $120 textbook with OpenStax and library articles. Students accessed everything through Canvas on the first day."
25
Students in the course
$120
Textbook cost saved per student
$3,000
Total savings for the class
New Program
Affordable and Open Textbooks (OAT) Program
Rutgers-Newark offers faculty funding awards to support the adoption of open educational resources in place of high-cost commercial textbooks.
Full-time and part-time Rutgers-Newark faculty teaching undergraduate or graduate courses are eligible
Course Redesign awards of $2,500 — or $3,500 to author a new open textbook
Apply when replacing a required textbook with OER
Apply for OAT Funding →Learn More About OAT →
Find OER
Browse curated collections of open textbooks, multimedia, and search tools across disciplines.
Open Textbooks
OpenStax
Peer-reviewed, openly licensed textbooks across disciplines.
Open Textbook Library
Curated collection of peer-reviewed open textbooks.
LibreTexts
Modular, adaptable content built by the academic community.
Search Across OER
OER Commons
Discover and share OER across disciplines.
MERLOT
Faculty peer-reviewed teaching and learning materials.
Mason OER Metafinder
Search across multiple OER repositories at once.
Multimedia & Interactive
MIT OpenCourseWare
Access course materials from MIT courses.
PhET Simulations
Interactive simulations for STEM learning.
TED-Ed
Short educational videos for your classroom.
Use OER at Rutgers-Newark
Two integrated tools make it easy to add OER to your course — before the semester begins.
Tool 1
Leganto Course Resource Lists
Build and organize OER alongside library materials in Leganto. Reading lists publish directly to Canvas — no extra steps for students.
- Add OER, library e-reserves, articles, and media to a single list
- Organize materials by week, topic, or module
- Lists appear automatically in Canvas course navigation
- Students access everything on day one — at no cost
Tool 2
Canvas Integration
Embed OER readings and media directly into your Canvas modules so students have everything in one place, on day one.
- Link open textbooks and articles directly in Canvas modules
- Embed videos, simulations, and interactive content inline
- OER added through Leganto appears automatically — no extra steps
- Students access materials from any device, anywhere
Get Started in 4 Steps
Follow this quick process to find, review, and publish OER for your course.
1
Find
Search for OER using OpenStax, OER Commons, LibreTexts, or the Mason OER Metafinder. Start with your discipline and course level.
2
Review
Evaluate materials for quality, accuracy, and alignment with your learning objectives. Check the license to confirm you can use and adapt the content.
3
Add
Add materials to your course using Leganto or Canvas. Mix OER with library-licensed articles and e-books to build a complete reading list.
4
Publish
Make materials available to students before the semester begins. Publish your Leganto list to Canvas so everything is ready on the first day.
We’re Here to Help
Get personalized help from librarians and instructional technology staff at every step.
Find the Right OER
Get personalized help finding high-quality resources for your discipline and course level.
- Discipline-specific OER recommendations
- Quality and peer-review assessment
- License verification
Build in Leganto
We'll help you create and organize your course reading list using OER and library materials.
- Add OER and library materials
- Organize by week or topic
- Publish directly to Canvas
Review & Accessibility
Check quality and ensure your OER materials are accessible before publishing to students.
- Accessibility review with Ally
- Quality and accuracy assessment
- License and attribution verification
Related Links
→ Leganto: Course Reading Lists→ Getting Started in Canvas→ Rutgers Libraries: Teaching Support→ Course Materials Home→ Canvas Accessibility (Ally)→ Book a Consultation
Find OER for Your Course
Librarians can help you identify the right open resources for your discipline.
Email ATSatshelp@newark.rutgers.edu973-353-5083
Dana Library973-353-5901libraries.rutgers.edu