Tools for Authoring Open Materials

To create your content, we recommend that you use simple, user-friendly tools that will make it easy for collaborators or future users to make edits. If you are creating an entire OER course, you will probably use a combination of different tools.

Please note, this is not a comprehensive list.

List of tools
If you are creating a:	Use this tool:	Keep this in mind:
Website	Wordpress Links to an external site.	Free and user friendly A free account allows for up to 3GB of storage (but contains ads) Also good for blogs Example: Chqeta'maj le qach'ab'al K'iche' Links to an external site.
	Weebly Links to an external site.	With the free account, can only embed YouTube videos, not other videos Example: Lenolandia: El mundo de la clase de la Señora Lenord Links to an external site.
Textbook	Google Docs Links to an external site.	Authoring in google docs makes it easy to collaborate with co-authors and makes it easy for users to tweak the content You can also share other document formats that you upload to Google Drive Once you have uploaded your materials, get a public URL for a document or collection of documents by changing the sharing settings to "Public on the Web". Example: Le Littéraire dans le quotidien Links to an external site.
	In Design Links to an external site.	Steep learning curve, not recommended for people with no prior experience Example: Français interactif Links to an external site.
	Microsoft Word Links to an external site.	Authoring in Word allows users to tweak the content Example: Español y Cultura en Perspectiva Links to an external site. by Sonia Balasch, Alexia D. Vikis, Lisa M. Rabin, and Colleen A. Sweet (the Word documents were uploaded to Google Drive to be shared, and then linked on a Wordpress website)
	Pressbooks Links to an external site.	Simple design and user interface (See also the BCcampus Pressbooks guide Links to an external site.) Pressbooks is free if your school pays for a license. Otherwise, you have to pay to use it. Example: Giornate Italiane Links to an external site.
Module	WikiEducator Links to an external site.	Plan projects, develop content, collaborate, and network with colleagues.
	MERLOT Content Builder Links to an external site.	For creating content directly in the MERLOT content repository
Lesson plan, activity	Google Docs Links to an external site.	Authoring in google docs makes it easy to collaborate with co-authors and makes it easy for users to tweak the content Example: Empowering Learners of Spanish Links to an external site.
	Microsoft Word Links to an external site.	Authoring in Word allows users to tweak the content
	OER Commons Lesson Builder Links to an external site.	For creating content directly in the OER Commons content repository Example: Estás Invitado Links to an external site. activity by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) (when logged in to OER Commons, users can click to remix the activity for themselves)
	Wikipedia Links to an external site.	Wikipedia offers tools to university instructors to create Wikipedia article writing assignments for students
Interactive activities	Canvas or another Learning Management System (LMS)	Not as easy to share content from an LMS because not everyone uses the same LMS (although activities can also be exported and imported between different systems - see this Open Oregon guide for sharing LMS content Links to an external site.) You can create content using another tool (for example, Google Docs), and then link to it from a learning management system. Then you can easily share your Google Docs content with others, but still use your institution's learning management system.
	H5P Links to an external site.	H5P is an HTML5-based tool for building interactive activities It's free to install the H5P plugin in WordPress and create embedded activities. H5P also gives you the option to allow people to embed the activities in their own websites, and even copy and adapt them. For a fee, you can install the H5P app in your LMS, or host H5P on your school's website. Example: the "check your knowledge" quizzes in these modules were created on h5p.org and embedded in Canvas, the interactive exercises in the textbook Português para principiantes Links to an external site. were created in H5P and embedded in Pressbooks
	Quizlet Links to an external site.	Note, there is no option for CC licensing in Quizlet Example: Spanish-Healthy Lifestyle list Links to an external site. created by gdelasse and adapted by ResourceIU8
	TedED Links to an external site.	Add interactive questions, discussion topics and more to TED-Ed Animations, TED talks or any video on YouTube. Easily share lessons with your students and track the results. Example: How Languages Evolve Links to an external site.
Video	▹▹▹ See page: Producing Videos for Language Learning

Learn More about Authoring Open Materials

Check Your Knowledge

If you are planning to create your own materials: Who will be accessing these materials during the development process, and who will be accessing them when they’re complete? What do you want other teachers to be able to do with your materials? This will inform what tools you use.

If you are not creating your own materials: Think about what kind of materials you like using. What do you want to be able to do with them? (Photocopy, edit, etc.)

Go to the next page to learn about producing videos for language learning.