Student guide to Open Educational Resources (OER): How to find multimedia OER
This guide focuses on open educational resources (OER) for TCC students and how to find, use, and cite openly licensed multimedia and materials
What's included in multimedia?
In this context, multimedia includes images, videos, and audio.
How to find openly licensed...
Introductory video: How to find OER images (7:14 mins)
- Introduction to OER vocabulary, concepts, and open licensesClick this link to view this TCC Library video tutorial in a new window.
OER image sites/repositories:
- Openverse(Site used to be known as "Creative Commons Search"). Combines together the image collections of Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, as well as several museum collections. Each image record includes an "Attributions" tab.
- FlickrFlickr hosts millions of Creative Commons-licensed images. Notably, Flickr provides a separate Creative Commons licensed videos collection. Search tip: After searching with a keyword, click the "Any license" filter to narrow down to images with different kinds of open licenses.
- How to search for a CC licensed image in FlickrStep-by-step, illustrated directions for how to search for the special collection of openly licensed images on flickr. From the Open Washington site.
- WikimediaWikimedia Commons is a media file repository that is completely dedicated to providing educational media that are released either in the public domain or under Creative Commons license. Search tip: To check the license information on any image, scroll down the page to the Licensing section.
- How to search for the CC licensed image in WikimediaStep-by-step, illustrated directions for how to search for images on Wikimedia. From the Open Washington site.
Google Image search
We're probably all pretty familiar with doing Google searches, and Google provides access to millions of images. But not all images can be reused freely! But there are ways to narrow down to openly licensed images through a Google search.
When you do a Google image search:
- Use keywords to search for related images
- Click on the "Tools" button on the right-hand side, above the image results
- Then click on the drop-down menu for "Usage rights," as seen in the screenshot below
- There you will see an option to narrow down to Creative Commons licensed images.
But be careful when trying to find openly licensed images via a Google Images search! Doublecheck that your image is actually openly licensed by clicking through to the website where the image is from.
Additional places to find CC-licensed, freely available, or public domain images:
- #WOCinTech Chat photosExtensive stock photo collection of WOC (women of color) in tech. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
- AllGo Plus-Size Stock PhotosStock photos featuring plus-size people. No modification or commercial use allowed. See front page for sample attribution statement.
- American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in ActionPhoto repository of real, diverse preK–12 students and teachers in different education and tech categories. Licensed CC-BY-NC (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial).
- Black IllustrationsIllustrations of Black people, organized in themed packs, e.g. Activism, Business, Education, STEM, and more. Browse image packs available for free. Site's licensing allows you to reuse, revise, and/or remix images.
- Disability Inclusive Stock PhotographyStock photographs featuring people with disabilities in tech or business settings. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives (CC BY ND) License.
- Disabled And Here CollectionPhoto collection featuring disabled Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) across the PNW. LGBTQ+, Lifestyle, Social, and Work categories. Licensed CC-BY (Creative Commons - Attribution).
- Gender Spectrum Collection: Stock Photos Beyond the BinaryStock photo library featuring trans and non-binary models. Licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivatives) license.
- Images of EmpowermentPhoto library of women's activities, particularly work and health-related, from around the world. Explore by location or subject. Licensed CC-BY-NC (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial).
- MorguefileMorguefile is a free photo archive. The site was created to serve as a free image exchange for creative professionals and teachers to use in their work. Search Tip: Search by keyword and then click on the license link for more specific info on how to use that image.
- NappyPhoto library of Black and Brown people. Explore collections and categories. Licensed CC0 (Public Domain).
- Open PeepsLibrary of hand-drawn, mix-and-match illustrations of people of different genders, ethnicities, and abilities. Licensed CC0 (Public Domain).
- PexelsFree stock photos and videos in a variety of categories and formats. Modification allowed, and attribution not required; site license equivalent to CC0 Public Domain license.
- PixabayAll images, videos, music, sound effects, and gifs on Pixabay are released under a Pixabay license, equivalent to a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public domain license. Searchable by keyword or by type (video, illustration, photo, etc.).
- Stock SnapPhotos and images on this site have a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public domain license. Searchable by keyword or by categories.
- UnsplashUnsplash photos are licensed its own Unsplash license, equivalent to the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public domain license. Searchable by keyword or by collections.
Introductory video: How to find OER videos (6:22 mins)
- Introduction to OER vocabulary, concepts, and open licensesClick this link to view this TCC Library video tutorial in a new window.
OER video sites/repositories:
- TED TalksTED Videos have a CC BY NC ND 4.0 license, and TED encourages users to freely view, share, and download the videos without restraint. The website is provided as a public service to promote the spread of good ideas.
- TED-EdTED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative. TED-Ed Originals are short, award-winning animated videos about ideas that spark the curiosity of learners everywhere.
- How to find a video in TEDStep-by-step, illustrated directions for how to search for TED Talks. From the Open Washington site.
- How to find a CC licensed video in YouTubeStep-by-step, illustrated directions for how to search for CC-licensed YouTube videos. From the Open Washington site.
- How to search for a CC licensed video in VimeoStep-by-step, illustrated directions for how to search for CC-licensed Vimeo videos. From the Open Washington site.
Additional places to find openly licensed or open-source videos or films:
- OpenverseIncludes openly licensed videos together in one search. Each record includes an "Attributions" tab, so you can easily copy-and-paste the attribution.
- List of open-source films on WikipediaOpen-source films (also known as open-content films and free-content films) are films which are produced and distributed by using free and open-source and open content methodologies. Their sources are freely available.
Introductory video: How to find OER audio (5:04 mins)
- Introduction to OER vocabulary, concepts, and open licensesClick this link to view this TCC Library video tutorial in a new window.
OER audio sites/repositories:
- OpenverseIncludes openly licensed audio together in one search. Each record includes an "Attributions" tab, so you can easily copy-and-paste the attribution.
- Free Music ArchiveThe Free Music Archive is an interactive library of high-quality, legal audio downloads directed by WFMU, the most renowned freeform radio station in America. Search tip: Explore by genre or use the search box. Click on the title of each audio recording to view its CC license, creator, date, etc.
- SoundBible.comOffers free sound clips for download in either wav or mp3 format. Each sound clip has license information, so look for that column when determining license and usage.
- Citizen DJ"The concept of Citizen DJ is grounded in hip hop culture." Includes free-to-use audio and video collections from the Library of Congress. Scroll down the home page to view music collections. All sounds are free-to-use for remixing.
- Library of Congress Audio Recordings SearchListen to music, interviews, field recordings, and more from the Library's historic sound recording collections. All the sound recordings in this collection are in the Public Domain, so that is the license information you would use in the citation. Search tip: Use the search box at the top; narrow down the options on the left side; or click on the "Collections with Audio Recordings" to browse historical collections of music.
- GaragebandThousands of songs by bands in almost every genre, available for Macs and App Store downloads. While users have to sign up for a free account before they can download songs — and while bands can set permissions for the use of any track — Garageband remains a valuable source for interesting music that can be used in student-generated projects.
- SoundCloudOnline audio distribution platform for users to upload, record, promote, and share their originally-created sounds. You do have to sign for an account to use this, but the account is free.
Except where otherwise noted, the content in these guides by Tacoma Community College Library is licensed under CC BY SA 4.0.
This openly licensed content allows others to cite, share, or modify this content, with credit to TCC Library. When reusing or adapting this content, include this statement in the new document: This content was originally created by Tacoma Community College Library and shared with a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
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