Material Type
Description
Activity/Lab
Supplemental, student-facing resource requiring students to provide answers or feedback based on taking specified steps.
Assessment
Student-facing question or prompt that measures understanding of a topic or idea.
Case Study
When actually occurring events or scenarios are used to illustrate scientific or academic principles.
Data Set
A collection of related sets of data.
Diagram/Illustration
Visual media, including but not limited to pictures, graphics, diagrams, figures, illustrations, charts, and maps.
Full Course
A series of units and lessons used to teach the skills and knowledge required by its curriculum.
Game
A game designed with an educational purpose.
Homework/Assignment
An activity engaged in by the learner for the purpose of acquiring certain skills, concepts, or knowledge, whether guided by an instructor or not.
Interactive
A visual tool in which students can move items around, enter variables, and/or answer questions.
Lecture
Recording or transcript of an educational speech.
Lecture Notes
Instructor-created notes to support student understanding of lectures.
Lesson
Lessons organize content within a course and may cover one or more concepts or topics. Typically used in K-12 education
Lesson Plan
A teacher-facing description of a course of instruction.
Module
Modules organize content within a course; may cover one or more concepts or topics.Typically used in higher education. In K-12 may be used to organize the presentation of several units.
Primary Source
Original document or object created at the time of the period of time being studied, i.e. newspaper article or government document.
Reading
The body of a printed work, to include reading passages.
Simulation
Imitation of a physical process over time.
Student Guide
A student-facing supplement to a course that provides additional content and tutorial instruction for a specific course or topic.
Syllabus
An outline of the contents and requirements of a course.
Teaching/Learning Strategy
Method or strategy to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
Textbook
A book used in the study of an academic or scientific subject.
Unit of Study
A plan of instruction on a particular concept; it contains multiple lessons that are related.


*Please note, if you have accessed this page from a site other than OER Commons the Material Types available may be slightly different than the list available here.