This is your hub for self-paced learning and helpful resources to support your OER journey. Whether you're just getting started or looking to deepen your understanding, you'll find tools here to guide and inspire you. We’re just getting started—check back soon as we continue to grow our collection of on-demand modules, guides, and interactive learning experiences.
OER Introduction for Faculty by Megan Zara
Explore meaningful, people-powered ways to connect with Open Education at UTA. These events bring students, faculty, and staff together to reflect, celebrate, and take action. Whether you're just getting curious or already blazing a trail, there’s a place for you here.
Rediscover OER at UTA is a week-long relaunch event spotlighting new tools, resources, and ways to engage with open education. Each day introduces a theme—through short webinars, activities, and community touchpoints—that helps faculty and students explore, connect, and take their next step in the Trailblazers Badge Program. Join live or catch up on-demand, and be part of shaping UTA’s open future.
Join faculty and students in a live workshop to explore how textbooks are chosen and experience the process of evaluating and selecting OER together. A great intro to Open Education in action.
Take part in a student-powered conversation on knowledge, equity, and learning. Includes guided prompts, group dialogue, and mural-style reflection.
Celebrate your progress, connect with fellow OER Trailblazers, and enjoy free pizza! These casual hangouts are open to all badge participants and offer a fun way to share ideas, ask questions, and build community. Come for the snacks, stay for the support!
Celebrate Open Education at UTA through storytelling, recognition, and community connection. Honorees and presenters can showcase their work and earn additional badges.
Copyright - All Rights Reserved1. Copyright is a legal right intended to "to promote the progress of science and useful arts."
2. Copyright applies automatically when a work is fixed in a tangible form. Registration is not required. This means you should always assume a work is protected by copyright even when it doesn't include a copyright symbol.
3. Copyright is a bundle of rights, which can be debundled, rather than a single right. This bundle includes the exclusive right to reproduce, adapt, distribute, perform, and display the work.
4. Copyright protections generally last the life of the creator plus 70 years.
Creative Commons - Some Rights ReservedCreative Commons licenses are standardized copyright licenses that let creators share their work with clear permissions for reuse, remixing, and distribution. They are what make Open Educational Resources (OER) possible—providing the legal framework that allows others to freely use and adapt materials while still respecting the creator’s chosen level of credit and control.
It's EASY to lisence your work! Check out the Creative Commons License Chooser.
Attribution
You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your copyrighted work—and derivative works based upon it —but only if they give you credit the way you request. This element is a part of all six licenses.
Non-Commercial
You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your work —and derivative works based upon it—but for noncommercial purposes only.
No Derivatives
You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only exact copies of your work, not derivative works based upon it.
Share Alike
You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.
Licensing 101: From Copyright to Creative Commons by Megan Zara
Giving Attribution/Citing with OERWhenever you use, adapt, or create OER, you need to give credit to the original creator. This is called attribution, and it’s both a legal and ethical part of open practice.
Adoption: If you’re using an existing OER as-is, include the attribution provided with the resource (often in a “Recommended Citation” or “License” section).
Example:
Introduction to Psychology by J. Smith, University of Example Press, [link]. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Remix/Modification: If you adapt or combine resources, keep the original attributions, note your changes, and list the new license if required.
Example:
Adapted from Introduction to Psychology by J. Smith (University of Example Press, [link], CC BY 4.0) and Foundations of Sociology by R. Lopez (Example Open Publishing, [link], CC BY-NC 4.0). Additional sections by M. Zara, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Creation: When publishing your own OER, clearly state your name, the chosen Creative Commons license, and the date so others know how they can use it.
Example:
Media Literacy in the Digital Age by M. Zara, 2025. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
A good rule of thumb is the TASL approach: Title, Author, Source, License. This ensures anyone who uses your resource knows what it is, who created it, where it came from, and under what terms it’s shared.
Fair Use GuidelinesFair Use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission when it supports purposes like teaching, research, commentary, or criticism. It’s flexible but context-dependent, and unlike Creative Commons, it doesn’t grant blanket permission, each use must be weighed against factors like purpose, amount, and market impact. Fair Use works alongside open licensing but is not the same as OER. View other infographics about fair use, including Fair Use Myths & Facts and Fair Use in a Day in the Life of a College Student.
Fair Use Fundamentals by Association of Research Libraries in licensed CC BY 4.0.
For additional information, visit UTA Libraries' guide on copyright and fair use.
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For details and exceptions, see the Library Copyright Statement.
© 2016-23 The University of Texas at Arlington.
University of Texas Arlington Libraries
702 Planetarium Place · Arlington, TX 76019 · 817-272-3000