The credibility of information rests on the integrity of the resources used to support teaching and learning. Before you include any resource, carefully evaluate it to consider if it is appropriate for Western Sydney University.

Library and Learning Futures have collaborated to provide the following registration forms for academics to use when considering resources for use in the classroom.

Quick Links

Getting Started

Step 1: Search The Mason OER Metafinder (MOM) to see if you are duplicating content that is already available. The MOM conducts real-time federated search across 21 different platforms. You can also check the individual OER listed in the Open Educational Resources (OER) guide.

Step 2: Be inspired by others who have completed the process by accessing the Western peer review case study exemplars on the Peer Review Case Studies page.

Step 3: Pair up with a buddy and engage in reciprocal peer observation and review of online teaching. Register with Learning Futures as Peer Review with a Buddy. If you don't have a buddy, complete this online OER for Peer Review form to request Learning Futures help you find one.

Step 4: Download a copy of the Collegial Peer Review of Online Teaching Practice Template (DOCX, 37.5 KB) to help facilitate your collegial peer review experience.

Step 5: To promote this initiative please consider submitting your completed Template to the Peer Review Template Submission portal to have your case study considered as part of this process.

Step 6: Join the Collegial Peer Review Community of Practice on Yammer.

Step 7: When you have completed your OER, please complete this online form if you wish to add your OER to the Library Collection.

Peer Review with a Buddy is supported by 21C. For more information visit the Peer Review with a Buddy page.

In academia, quality control is often referred to as Peer Review. Sometimes OERs are vetted through a formal peer review process that is very similar to what is used on formally published textbooks and scholarly journals; other times the process is self-selecting and informal. Some OERs are not vetted at all, and the quality control will dependant for hosting via the Library or you can use independently within vUWS

In the context  OER repositories and lists generally have features like:

• Hit counts (a popularity vote)
• Comments (more qualitative information)
• Ratings

An increasing number of reputable OER repositories and lists have  an actual peer review system as well. The peer reviewers are given training and assigned content to review based on their areas of expertise.  

Our philosophy is that the educator who is using the content is responsible for evaluating the content for  their curriculum needs which will ensure:

• Subject matter, for accuracy, objectivity, completeness.
• Style (Branding) and presentation, to make sure that it is appropriate for your learners' level, learning style and modality, etc.
• Pedagogy, to make sure it fits well with the kinds of assignments and assessments you want to create.
• Technical aspects, to make sure that you and your learners will be able to use it as this will ensure operability

Note: This includes accessibility for both staff and students

Here are a few steps you might take in the evaluation process. If this process seems lengthy, think about the process you follow to review textbooks and other materials for your course. You can use a similar or modified evaluation process.

1. That the content under consideration covers the subject area appropriately
2. That the content of the OER is accurate and free of major errors and spelling mistakes
3. That the license of the content can be used or altered for the course's needs
4. That the OER is clearly written and appropriate for the students' level of understanding
5. That the accessibility of the content is appropriate for all students

Created from Open Educational Resources by Iowa State University Library. Available: https://instr.iastate.libguides.com/oer/evaluate

The POUR framework was developed by the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials as a set of checkpoints for ensuring that digital materials are accessible for learners. The four components include:

• Perception: Can all students at least perceive the content?
• Operable: Are all students able to navigate and interact with the content?
• Understandable: Are all students able to understand the content?
• Robust: Does the content work well with other technologies?

Watch this video for more about POUR.