A survey of the development and the changing historical interpretation of institutions and society in the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the present. Special attention to the interplay between races and cultural diversity and conflict.
"Quite a few students complimented the online textbook for being clear and easy to read. Some explicitly said that it was easier to understand than a regular textbook, and students were also happy to have the text accessible at any time from computers and other electronic devices, without having to carry around a heavy book."
Law-making processes in the United States and/or other selected political systems.
"I chose to use 'Congressional Research Service' reports instead of the previously used textbook 'Congress and Its Members' to save students money and to familiarize students with a valuable resource that they can continue to use throughout their education and career."
ENG 105B and ENG 106B is a two-course first-year writing sequence designed specifically for multilingual students. As part of the First-Year Writing program, this course sequence "explores the relationships among language, meaning, and context" (English CSUSB). It emphasizes writing as a means of critical thinking and inquiry. It also plays an important role in introducing students to college life and academic habits of mind.
"I chose to put together my own material, in lieu of a traditional textbook, because it not only saves students money, it also gives students the opportunity to engage with a variety of authentic, 'real-world' texts/text sets at appropriate/various levels of difficulty."
Workshop in writing fiction, discussion of student writing and exemplary works by established authors.
"While this book is not the ideal text, I decided to use it because it assumes and develops further basic skills competencies in creative writing for all students. Also, the book was/is available electronically at our campus library. I discovered this particular text by browsing our campus library digital collections."
This resource is used in three different Engish Composition classes. Both classes are for all students in any major. It is typically made up of first-year students and is a prerequisite for many other classes.
"I adopted this resource because I wanted to help students save money. I was a first-generation student and I remember it was always a struggle to buy all my textbooks at the same time. I feel good knowing that my students don't have to worry about that for my course. Additionally, I wanted to assign readings that matched what I was doing in class with more flexibility."
Examination of the history and lives of Arab American women through their own writings and essays.
"The main motivations to adopt OERs were to save students money, provide them with a variety of teaching resources of different modalities, increase student engagement, and find more relevant materials."
Introduction to the ways in which Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Confucianism view human life and reality.
This course uses ideas from South and East Asian philosophy to introduce beginning philosophy students to philosophical reasoning.
"I did not perform a survey, but I have observed many students using the electronic version of the textbook. After a class meeting, I asked a small group of students who had not left yet how they felt about the electronic version. They all said that they appreciated the electronic version."
This course presents a thematic and chronological examination of major historical trends of graphic design and its reception. It uses the slide lecture format to contextualize main historical, technological, and theoretical concerns that influenced individuals and movements in graphic design.
"The main motivation in participating in this study and partially adopting an open textbook is to help ensure that any adaptation of OER materials is pedagogically sound and in the best overall interest of students (i.e., advantages must include more than the fact that materials are free)."
A survey of the discipline of Communication Studies with emphasis on interpersonal contexts, group discussions, and individual presentations in public settings. This course explores issues relevant to the systematic inquiry and pursuit of knowledge about human communication including its history, principles, processes, assumptions, methods, and specializations of human communication as an academic field of study.
"I have transitioned to free OER textbooks for two of my other courses, and students report (in end-of-semester course review surveys) being thoroughly pleased with the value of those books."
Perceptual effects, verbal/nonverbal codes, and dynamics of interpersonal, group, and organizational communication.
"My co-authors and I wrote our own and decided to make it open source and free for students. Our motivation was to provide students with free materials that can be updated on a regular basis by a broad range of people in our discipline, thus making the text constantly current."
History of the United States from the end of Reconstruction (1877) to the present. Ethnic and gender diversity and the democratization of the United States. Emphasis on the political, social, cultural and economic trends and events that have shaped and characterized the United States as a modern nation and world power.
"I also wanted to save money for my students, which is important since, as a whole, they are highly indebted upon finishing their degrees."
This course presents a survey of the significant personalities, groups, ideas, events, institutions and trends contributing to the pluralistic American heritage from the Colonial period through the Reconstruction.
"My main motivation was to save students money and to give them a quality textbook that they could access electronically."
Surveys the history of colonial America and the United States from the first European encounters with the New World through the Civil War and Reconstruction.
"I adopted History in the Making for two reasons. As a co-author on this text, I had a hand in outlining the chapters and organizing the content. Therefore, I knew the information in the book worked well with what I tend to focus on in the survey course. Moreover, my students have access to a full textbook either for free if they use the digital version or for less money than they would pay for a concise textbook. I no longer have to worry about the student who halfway into the semester does not have the book because they could not afford it or because the bookstore ran out of copies."
Surveys American civilization, from the Pre-Columbian era through Reconstruction, emphasizing the political,cultural, economic, and social history of the United States. Meets Title V American Institutions U.S. History requirement for the associate degree.
"Open-source textbooks are vitally important to History courses, as they can provide effective ways of engaging students across many different ability levels. Not only are they affordable, but most significantly OER textbooks can be an integral part of open pedagogy, allowing students to take an active role in their readings, assignment, and assessments."
This course is designed as an introduction for the non-art major to basic concepts common to the visual arts and to acquaint the student with the major periods and styles of art. Painting, sculpture, and architecture from prehistoric times to Post-Modernism will be explored with particular emphasis on the art object as a form of cultural and social expression, and critical formal analysis. Field trips may be required.
"In the age of the information revolution, it is regressive not to embrace and employ the democratizing effect of free, quality, online content."
From the last days of Rome's Republic and the establishment of the Empire under Augustus to the "Fall" of Rome in the West in the 5th cent. C.E. The nature of Augustus' settlement, problems of political stability, the crisis of the 3rd cent., recovery and collapse are explored, along with such topics as art, literature, and religion, where special attention is given to the role of Christianity in the empire. Readings by contemporary writers, documents illustrating social history, and images enhance the course.
"My main motivation was to save students money. Not only is the cost of books continually rising, but CSUB has many students who are barely able to make it financially."
HUM 340 is an investigation of different ways in which people find the meaning, or meanings, in texts or events. Includes alternative theoretical approaches applied to specific literary, artistic, legal, religious and historical examples.
"My goal with the Open Textbook Adoption Program was to reduce textbook costs for students and to ensure that all students had access to course materials for our in-class discussions."
Developing individual effectiveness in various speech activities; emphasis on public speaking; instruction and practice in selection, organization and presentation of materials. Development of self-confidence and listening skills. Field trips are not required.
"I still use Stand Up, Speak Out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking v. 1.0.3 from Flat World Knowledge as my primary text for this class. It has been edited by me to fit the course, is interactive, has study resources, and can be purchased in a variety of formats depending on my student's learning style and their budget."
In this course students develop strategies for designing well-organized, researched, extemporaneous speeches on socially significant topics adapted to a diverse audience.
"The reasons I am interested in adopting this text are two-fold. The first reason, it is free. The students don't have to carry any financial burden for this text. Secondly I can deliver the two chapters to all of the students at the same time. I chose to embed the chapters in the course management shell making them available at a specified time in the semester."
This course examines the development of oral communication for functioning effectively in various settings. Fundamental communication theory.
"MI wanted a textbook that was easily accessible to students in an online public speaking course. I wanted a textbook that students would actually read and use in the course. Too many of my students are avoiding buying textbooks because they are so expensive. I wanted a textbook that I could customize and supplement easily. I could do that with Stand Up, Speak Out."
Introductory course. Develop oral communication abilities for functioning effectively in various settings. Fundamental communication theory.
"One of the main motivations to use an open textbook was to reduce the cost of education for students. I have been involved in open educational opportunities for several years and believe wholeheartedly in making education available to everyone."
Theory and technique of public speaking. Emphasis on organizing, supporting, and clearly stating ideas. Practice in informative and persuasive speaking. Meets the general education requirement for oral communication, Area A-1.
"I make use of textbooks as the basic source of content and use class time for activities that apply the content and practice skills. Therefore, I felt it was imperative that students had no excuse for not reading the course text."
"Further, I appreciated the fact that I didn't feel compelled to use every chapter to justify the high cost of a typical textbook. While I did end up using all the chapters, uses came organically from the course design, not a sense of compulsion. I value OERs for the freedom of choice, usability, adaptability, accessibility and convenience they provide. "
Basic Writing Skills emphasizing exposition and textual analysis. First part of two-term sequence.
"My main motivation for adopting the open textbook was to save students money while exploring better opportunities to customize materials for my students."
Reading and writing expository prose: Critical thinking, identifying logical fallacies, and reasoning inductively and deductively.
"The major reason for adopting this textbook was to save students money, and to have the ability to customize a rhetoric text to meet the needs of my students."
This course examines basic Writing Skills emphasizing exposition and textual analysis. First part of two-term sequence.
"The main two motivations were to save students money and to increase flexibility in the way to teach microeconomics principles to incoming freshmen."
Spanish. Consideration of the nature of the discipline. Integration of knowledge and experience acquired within the student's major area.
"A major motivation for adopting the open textbook has been to save students money, but also to make it easy to access."
Investigation of different ways in which people find the meaning, or meanings, in texts or events. Alternative theoretical approaches applied to specific literary, artistic, legal, religious and historical examples.
"Since many of the students are first-generation college students from working class families, and the nature of the course requires access to a variety of texts, canonical and marginal, they are often either too expensive or very difficult to find. We determined that the OER textbooks option was the most appropriate for this innovative course."
Investigation of different ways in which people find the meaning, or meanings, in texts or events. Alternative theoretical approaches applied to specific literary, artistic, legal, religious and historical examples.
"Since many of the students are first-generation college students from working class families, and the nature of the course requires access to a variety of texts, canonical and marginal, they are often either too expensive or very difficult to find. We determined that the OER textbooks option was the most appropriate for this innovative course. We found some of the texts available through MERLOT, and added other materials online as the reading materials in order to create an online reader."
An online course in effective expository writing. Emphasis on writing as a process.
"I began this in my online class because it was so easy and convenient to vary course materials and stop using the textbook."
This survey of the cultural heritage of Western civilization, from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece to the Early Renaissance, presents a history of culture and values with emphasis on artistic, literary, musical, religious and philosophical traditions. A wide variety of audio/visual materials is used.
"Students often seem to struggle to understand architecture through the written word. One challenge is that readers need to refer to images; students have been taught to value text and often ignore the images that are integral to a presentation of architecture. Videos in Smarthistory help them experience movement through space and highlight visual features."
: This course examines the processes by which children and adults develop a second language. You will learn about the cognitive, affective, and social factors that affect second language and bilingual acquisition and learning.
"The main motivation for adopting the open textbook was saving students money and having more materials available. I knew that the Centro Virtual Cervantes site had high quality research posted as open source materials, so I searched the site for readings that aligned with the topics from the class."
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