As Josh Franco describes here, "according to Creative Commons, OERs 'are teaching, learning, and research materials that are either (a) in the public domain or (b) licensed in a manner that provides everyone with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities.' What makes an OER “open” are the 5Rs.
The 5Rs include reuse, retain, revise, remix, and redistribute. Creative Commons defines these activities as:
- Retain – make, own, and control a copy of your teaching materials
- Reuse – use your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource
- Revise – edit, adapt, and modify your copy of the resource
- Remix – combine your original or revised copy of the resource with other existing material to create something new
- Redistribute – share copies of your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource with others."