Guidelines for AI use and attribution on OER Commons
Peter Musser
started a topic
about 9 hours ago
In the past few years, OER Commons staff have seen a sharp rise in the use of generative AI tools to create open educational resources. Broadly, we believe that adapting new tools and technologies to support educators and learners can lead to better learning experiences when done with care and intention.
However, our staff have found that many AI co-created submissions have not met the threshold of quality laid out in OER Commons’ Collection Policy, leaving us no choice but to reject them. We also have broader concerns about how unchecked AI use can lead to an overall decrease in the quality of resources across the OER landscape.
To help address this, we’ve developed a set of guidelines to help authors and the wider community understand our expectations regarding AI use in the materials submitted for inclusion on OER Commons. They aren’t meant to replace or supersede the policy so much as to help users understand how we’re interpreting and applying the existing policy when it comes to AI and OER creation.
Starting August 1, 2026 we expect all users to:
1. Disclose or attribute AI when it has been used in the creation of the resource they’re submitting;
2. Avoid submitting tools or websites created through wholesale use of AI that lack meaningful and verifiable human attribution; and,
3. Review and edit any AI-created content thoroughly before submitting it for consideration.
Following these guidelines will help our staff immensely to identify and appropriately assess whether materials are a good fit for our collections. On the other hand, failing to take the above steps will likely result in a user’s submitted resources being rejected.
Peter Musser
In the past few years, OER Commons staff have seen a sharp rise in the use of generative AI tools to create open educational resources. Broadly, we believe that adapting new tools and technologies to support educators and learners can lead to better learning experiences when done with care and intention.
However, our staff have found that many AI co-created submissions have not met the threshold of quality laid out in OER Commons’ Collection Policy, leaving us no choice but to reject them. We also have broader concerns about how unchecked AI use can lead to an overall decrease in the quality of resources across the OER landscape.
To help address this, we’ve developed a set of guidelines to help authors and the wider community understand our expectations regarding AI use in the materials submitted for inclusion on OER Commons. They aren’t meant to replace or supersede the policy so much as to help users understand how we’re interpreting and applying the existing policy when it comes to AI and OER creation.
Starting August 1, 2026 we expect all users to:
1. Disclose or attribute AI when it has been used in the creation of the resource they’re submitting;
2. Avoid submitting tools or websites created through wholesale use of AI that lack meaningful and verifiable human attribution; and,
3. Review and edit any AI-created content thoroughly before submitting it for consideration.
Following these guidelines will help our staff immensely to identify and appropriately assess whether materials are a good fit for our collections. On the other hand, failing to take the above steps will likely result in a user’s submitted resources being rejected.
View the complete guidelines and rationale here, including examples of acceptable attribution and readings that inform our thinking. These guidelines align with OER Commons’ Collection Policy, and with ISKME’s Guiding Principles for Responsible AI in the World of Open.