"Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others. OER include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge." ~ William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
In addition to using the search engines and repositories linked on this guide, you can also use advanced search features when searching Google, YouTube or Flickr, to find and locate OER. You will still need to confirm the individual license of the object you select to assure it meets the appropriate CC license.
Google - Use the Advanced Search. Under Usage Rights select to limit your results to resources which are free to use, modify or share. More from Google on Usage Rights.
YouTube - After searching by keyword in YouTube, use the Filters feature to filter your results to videos with a Creative Commons License. Looking for more videos? View the Images, Audio & Video tab!
Flickr - After searching by keyword in Flickr, use the Any License filter feature to filter your results to the appropriate usage license which best suits your usage of the work. Looking for more images? View the Images, Audio & Video tab!
Listed below is a sample of several OER Drama/Theater Arts related materials. Additional OER in your subject may be found by searching the resources listed on the ACC Libraries primary Open Educational Resources Guide.
Textbooks:
An Introduction to Technical Theater - Intended as a resource for both secondary and post-secondary theatre courses, this text provides a comprehensive overview of technical theatre, including terminology and general practices. Introduction to Technical Theatre’s accessible format is ideal for students at all levels, including those studying technical theatre as an elective part of their education. The text’s modular format is also intended to assist teachers approach the subject at their own pace and structure, a necessity for those who may regularly rearrange their syllabi around productions and space scheduling.
Theatrical Worlds - From the University of Florida College of Fine Arts, Charlie Mitchell and distinguished colleagues from across America present an introductory text for theatre and theoretical production. This book seeks to give insight into the people and processes that create theater. It does not strip away the feeling of magic but to add wonder for the artistry that makes a production work well.
Playwriting - Covers the basic components of playwriting.
Actors and the Art of Performance - This text comprises monographs and essay collections addressing the relationship between performance and philosophy within a broad range of philosophical traditions and performance practices.
Courses:
The Craft of Costume Design - This class provides an overview of some of the techniques used in creating costume pieces that are crafted rather than sewn. We will use a variety of materials and techniques to create specific costume pieces while at the same time exploring alternative applications possible for each material/technique.
Theater and Cultural Diversity in the U.S. - This course explores contemporary American theatrical expression as it may be organized around issues of gender and cultural identity. This exploration will include the analysis of performances, scripts, and video documentation, as well as the invention of original documents of theatrical expression. Class lectures and discussions will analyze samples of Native American, Chicano, African American, and Asian American theater, taking into consideration the historical and political context for the creation of these works. Performance exercises will help students identify theatrical forms and techniques used by these theaters, and how these techniques contribute to the overall goals of specific theatrical expressions.
Theater Appreciation - This course is designed as an asynchronous, fully online course. A survey of the fields of theatre activity designed to provide introductory knowledge of all phases of drama, literature, performance, theatre facilities and equipment, and production procedures.
Teaching Tools:
The Golden Age of Broadway - This collection uses primary sources to explore the golden age of musical theatre on Broadway. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.
"Oedipus the King" Readers' Theatre - Students will rewrite the Greek tragedy in a modern context in order to review and analyze the plot. This assignment is designed as a final project in a Greek Theatre unit. It is expected that the literature has already been read and analyzed as a class. I have found that this project is an innovative way to review for a unit test on the play and Greek Theatre.
Improvisation Recipe Book - Recipes (or games) intended to be used as reference and study for the college course: Improvisation.
Storytelling on Screen: An Online Theatre Archive and Guidebook - Open education resource consisting of a collection of full-length recordings of online Playback Theatre performances, and a 55-page explanatory guidebook.
"5Rs image" by David Wiley, Lumen Learning is licensed under CC BY 4.0