Early Bird

Reexamine your course textbooks

Learn about the Open Textbook Library and open educational resources by attending a March 12 workshop.

By Emily Ragan, Ph.D.

March 2, 2021

Are you updating your course or considering textbook options ahead of the April 1 bookstore deadline? There are increasing numbers of open educational resources available, which are licensed in a way that allows free use and reuse by everyone.

OpenStax textbooks are comparable to traditional publisher texts and, if available for your course, may be a good choice. All OpenStax textbooks are available for free online and as PDFs. Metropolitan State University of Denver faculty members have access to the OpenStax online homework, called OpenStax Tutor, for free for our students, thanks to our participation in the OpenStax Institutional Partners program. OpenStax Tutor is available for Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, College Physics, Psychology, Sociology and Entrepreneurship.

“I use OpenStax Tutor in SOC 1010 Intro to Sociology to better engage students with course materials,” said Ting Jiang, Ph.D., professor of Sociology. “OpenStax Tutor knowledge checks and quizzes utilize YouTube videos, historical documents and online blogs and articles to help students develop the ‘sociological imagination’ (a key student learning objective) – the ability to see the connection between what’s happening in their daily life and the larger historical scene.” 

OpenStax also partners with other online homework providers to offer lower-cost options than typical textbook and online homework systems. Find resources available for OpenStax books using the OpenStax Tech Scout.

While OpenStax has 40 titles, there are over 840 open textbooks listed in the Open Textbook Library, hosted by the University of Minnesota. Learn more about the Open Textbook Library and earn a $200 stipend for reviewing a book in your field by attending an Open Textbook Review workshop March 12 from 1-2:30 p.m. Sign up for the workshop here.0-

OER includes resources beyond just textbooks. Auraria librarians are willing to meet with faculty members to help with customized searches; schedule a session here. You can explore other available resources using repositories and search tools listed in the Auraria OER Guide or the Open Washington OER Resource Repository.