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Mainstreaming Open Textbooks: Educator Perspectives on the Impact of OpenStax College Open Textbooks

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This paper presents the results of collaborative research between open textbook provider OpenStax College (OSC) and the OER Research Hub (OERRH), a Hewlett funded mixed methods open research project examining the impact of open educational resources (OER) on learning and teaching. The paper focuses primarily on the results of two surveys that were conducted with educators using a range of OSC open textbooks during 2013 and 2014/2015. The results of this research shows that OER such as OSC enables a majority of educators to better respond to student needs whilst often making teaching easier and in some instances changing teaching practices. Although this paper does not focus on the impact of OER on students, a majority of educators surveyed perceive an increase in student satisfaction when using OER such as OSC and believe that OSC are saving students money.

Material Type: Reading

Author: Rebecca Pitt

Foundations of Neuroscience

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Open Edition Short Description: Foundations of Neuroscience is aimed at undergraduate students new to the field of neuroscience. The first edition specifically targets students enrolled in Neurobiology at Michigan State University and primarily contains topics covered in that course. Long Description: Foundations of Neuroscience is aimed at undergraduate students new to the field of neuroscience. The first edition specifically targets students enrolled in Neurobiology at Michigan State University and primarily contains topics covered in that course. For example, only three sensory systems are discussed in this version of the text. Future editions will continue to expand the number of topics and concepts presented. This OER is unique in its presentation of neuroscience content. The text is divided into short, easily digestible chapters that focus on one concept. Pairing the text with images, animations, and videos provides students with multiple ways of learning the content. The text is written with the undergraduate student that is new to neuroscience in mind. Neuroscience terminology is introduced in an easy-to-understand manner, and supporting content is clear and concise to minimize cognitive load not associated with understanding new material Each chapter ends with an interactive quiz for student self-evaluation of the content. Quiz questions provide feedback, so students can self-check their understanding at the end of each concept and receive immediate feedback about their learning. Word Count: 64100 ISBN: 978-1-62610-109-8 (Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Casey Henley

Open Textbooks using OER Commons Lesson Builder Tool

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This is a supplementary video for the Commonwealth of Learning Open Textbook Manual. It shows how to create Lessons in OER Commons. The OER Commons Lesson Builder allows instructors to create resources that are viewable by students as lessons, and by teachers as lesson plans with supplemental instructional resources.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Modifying an Open Textbook: What You Need to Know

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Short Description: This is a five-step guide for faculty, and those who support faculty, who want to modify an open textbook. Step-by-step instructions for importing and editing common open textbook file and platform types are included. Long Description: Modifying an Open Textbook: What You Need to Know focuses on the technological aspects of editing open textbooks found in the Open Textbook Library or elsewhere, and will help you assess the effort, expertise, and technical tools needed. In addition, this guide includes step-by-step instructions for importing and editing common open textbook file and platform types. Finally, this guide provides a basic overview of accessibility considerations and general guidance on where to find additional help. Adapted from “6 Steps to modifying an Open Textbook” by Clint Lalonde, CC BY 4.0 International. Word Count: 5862 (Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Amy Hofer, Anita Walz, Annie Johnson, Cheryl Cuillier, Karen Lauritsen, Kathleen Labadorf, Peter Potter, Richard Saunders

Guide to Developing Open Textbooks

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This how to guide has been developed to assist teachers, teaching support personnel and educational technology administrators to: understand the value of open education, OER and open textbooks for teaching and learning; appreciate the potential value of developing an open textbook platform; select appropriate technology to build an open textbook platform, using either existing services offered free on the Internet or open-source tools, based on local needs and resources; and build, manage and maintain an open textbook platforms.

Material Type: Reading, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Andrew Moore, Neil Butcher