Documentation

Just as any other product, OER requires documentation and supporting material. From the equivalent of the teachers edition of a textbook to the users guide for an app, or a manual for a software package, documentation is an important part of an open resource.

The OER documentation and support are likely different than from a standard commercial entity. For example, a standard textbook will include homework problems, and the teachers guide will contain solutions and guidance on how to teach the material. An open textbook is more likely to utilize a separate homework service, such as Sapling Learning, and additional resources are usually provided. Luckily, the open community is also more likely to encourage user contributed content.