Where to Find Free Course Materials and How to Use Them

What open educational resources are and where to find them

Open educational resources (OER) are course materials — textbooks, lecture notes, videos, problem sets, lab simulations — that are free to use, modify, and share because they're published under an open license. Unlike traditional textbooks locked behind copyright, OER live in public repositories where you can download them without paying. The materials range from single chapters to complete courses built by universities, nonprofits, and individual instructors.

The largest repositories are OpenStax (peer-reviewed textbooks in math, science, social sciences, and humanities), MIT OpenCourseWare (lecture notes and exams from actual MIT courses), Open Textbook Library (searchable by subject and course level), and Project Gutenberg (older texts now in the public domain). Your college library often maintains its own OER collection or can point you toward discipline-specific repositories — ask a librarian by name rather than searching alone, because they know which collections have materials for your exact courses.

Key Takeaways

• OpenStax, MIT OpenCourseWare, and Open Textbook Library are the three largest free repositories, and most have search filters by subject and course level.
• Your college library can tell you which OER materials align with your specific courses and may have already vetted them for quality.
• Open licenses let you download, print, and annotate materials for personal use; modifying or republishing requires checking the specific license terms.
• OER materials work best alongside your syllabus and instructor notes, not as a replacement for understanding what your course actually requires.
• Some courses use a mix of OER and proprietary materials, so confirm with your instructor which resources count toward your grade or are required for assignments.

How to search for materials in your subject

Start with your course syllabus and the textbook title or ISBN your instructor listed. Search that exact title in OpenStax and Open Textbook Library first — if your course uses a common subject (introductory biology, calculus, U.S. history, economics), there's a good chance an OER version exists. If nothing matches exactly, search by topic and course level (introductory, intermediate, advanced) to find related materials that cover similar ground.

If your college uses a learning management system like Canvas or Blackboard, check whether your instructor has already embedded OER links in the course site — many do without announcing it. If you're still not finding what you need, email your course instructor or your college's library reference desk with the course name and textbook title. Librarians can often locate OER alternatives you'd miss on your own, and some colleges have staff dedicated to finding and recommending open materials.

Understanding open licenses and what you can actually do with the materials

OER materials come with different licenses that spell out what you're allowed to do. The most common is Creative Commons, which has several versions. A CC-BY license means you can use, modify, and share the material as long as you credit the author. A CC-BY-NC license adds a restriction: no commercial use. A CC-BY-SA license requires you to share any modified version under the same license. Always check the license on the material itself — it's usually listed on the download page or in the front matter.

For your own coursework, the practical difference is small: you can download, print, highlight, and annotate any OER material for personal study. You can quote from it in your own papers (with citation, as you would any source). You cannot sell it, republish it online without permission, or claim you wrote it. If you want to modify a textbook chapter for your study group or create a custom version, check the license first — some allow it freely, others require you to ask the author, and a few don't allow it at all.

When OER works well and when it has limits

OER materials work best for foundational courses where the content doesn't change much year to year: introductory math, chemistry, biology, history, and writing. These subjects have stable OER options that are often peer-reviewed and regularly updated. They also work well as supplementary materials — using an OER textbook alongside your instructor's lecture notes and problem sets, or using OER videos to review a concept your professor explained differently.

OER has real limits in fast-moving fields (current events, recent policy, cutting-edge research), in courses where your instructor has written custom materials, and in subjects where the textbook is tightly integrated with online homework systems or lab software. Some courses require specific proprietary platforms for grading or simulations that OER can't replace. Before you commit to using only OER for a course, confirm with your instructor that the materials will work for the assignments and exams — a free textbook that doesn't align with what you're actually being tested on costs you time instead of money.

How to combine OER with other free and low-cost resources

OER works better as part of a strategy than as a standalone solution. Pair your OER textbook with free lecture videos (YouTube channels run by universities, Khan Academy for math and science, TED-Ed for humanities topics), free problem databases (Wolfram Alpha for math, PhET simulations for physics), and your instructor's office hours. Many colleges also offer free tutoring, writing centers, and study groups — these often matter more than which textbook you're reading.

If an OER textbook doesn't quite fit your course, look for low-cost alternatives: used copies of older editions (often $20–40 instead of $150–300), rental textbooks, or your college's course reserves system, where instructors place copies of required books in the library for short-term checkout. Some publishers also offer digital access codes for $30–50 instead of the full price. The goal is to find materials that match your course requirements and your budget, not to force a free option that doesn't work.

Checking quality and making sure materials are current

Not all OER is equal. OpenStax and MIT OpenCourseWare materials go through peer review and are maintained by institutions with reputations to protect. Open Textbook Library materials are vetted before listing but vary in how recently they were updated. Before using an OER textbook as your primary resource, check the publication date (look in the front matter or on the repository page) and scan a chapter or two to see if the writing is clear and the examples match what your instructor is teaching.

If you find an OER textbook that's several years old in a field where things change (technology, medicine, social sciences), ask your instructor whether it's still accurate for your course. Sometimes older materials are fine; sometimes they're outdated. A quick conversation saves you from studying information your exam won't cover. You can also check the repository page for user reviews or ratings — many sites let students and instructors comment on whether materials worked for their courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print OER materials or do I have to read them on a screen?

Yes, you can print most OER materials for personal use. Many repositories offer PDF downloads specifically so you can print them. Check the license to confirm, but nearly all OER allows printing for individual study. Some students print chapters selectively to save paper and ink.

What if my instructor assigns a specific textbook but I find an OER version instead?

Ask your instructor first. Some instructors assign a specific book because the homework system or exam questions tie to it, and using a different version will confuse you. Others are flexible and will confirm that an OER alternative covers the same material. Don't assume — a five-minute email prevents wasted study time.

Are OER materials as rigorous as traditional textbooks?

It depends on the source. OpenStax and MIT materials are written by subject experts and peer-reviewed, so they meet academic standards. Materials from smaller repositories vary — some are excellent, others are less polished. Check the author credentials and publication date, and compare a chapter to what your instructor is teaching to gauge quality.

Can I share OER materials with classmates or post them online?

Sharing a download link or a PDF with classmates for study purposes is generally allowed under open licenses. Posting materials on social media, course-sharing sites, or your own website requires checking the specific license — some allow it, others don't. When in doubt, link to the original repository instead of uploading a copy yourself.

Do colleges prefer that students use OER?

Most colleges support OER as one option among many, not as a requirement. Your college may have OER initiatives or librarians who recommend open materials, but the decision is usually yours. Use what works for your learning style and your course requirements, whether that's OER, used books, rentals, or a mix.