Faculty & Staff: Open Textbooks
KB0010600
Open textbooks are flexible in ways that traditional textbooks are not, which gives instructors more freedom to use them in the way that best meets their instructional needs.
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Summary
Open textbooks provide a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional textbooks, offering educators the freedom to adapt materials to suit their specific instructional needs. Authored by faculty and supported by universities, non-profit organizations, or new innovative commercial companies. This new business model enables free online access to textbooks. Open textbooks are usually governed by Creative Commons licenses that enable , open textbooks are typically available online for free. They are often governed by Creative Commons licenses, allowing users to download, customize, and /or print the textbook without expressed and requiring prior written consent of the authorfrom the authors.
Detailed Overview
Open textbooks represent a modern educational resource model, facilitating free access to learning materials. This model supports educational institutions by providing adaptable, high-quality content while minimizing student costs. New commercial companies provide contribute by offering free online access to the textbook content online, while charging lower prices for print products and supplemental services. The inclusion of advertisements can also be a condition of an Open Textbook.
Here are a few locations where you can find open textbooks.
MERLOT has nominal fees for printed versions, and providing optional supplementary services. Some open textbooks may include advertisements as part of their distribution model.
Key Features of Open Textbooks:
Creative Commons Licenses: These licenses enable users to legally share and adapt materials, enhancing the flexibility and accessibility of educational content.
Cost-Effective: While online versions are free, printed copies are available at significantly reduced prices compared to traditional textbooks.
Customizable: Educators can modify and tailor content to better fit their teaching strategies and course requirements.
Sources for Open Textbooks
MERLOT
MERLOT hosts one of the largest collections of open textbooks, with thousands of free open textbooks in the collection. As with all MERLOT resources , the textbooks are searchable by topic. Additionally, an Advanced Search tool can be used to find open textbooks by audience, format, license, etc.and audience. Their Advanced Search tool provides a streamlined process for locating materials that meet specific educational needs.
Flat World
Flat World has pioneered a offers an innovative licensing model for , granting institutions and university systems to provide their students with unlimited access to our complete a comprehensive catalog , across multiple devices , for a low minimal annual fee or at no charge. More than . Currently, over 750,000 students at 2,500 schools are using worldwide utilize Flat World textbooks worldwide.
OpenStax College
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OpenStax provides peer-reviewed textbooks that align with most course requirements. These texts are written by professional content developers . Adopt a book today for a turnkey classroom solution or modify it to suit your teaching approach. Free online and low-cost in print, OpenStax College books are built for today's student budgets.
The College Open Textbooks Collaborative is collection of colleges, governmental agencies, education non-profits, and other education-related organizations that are focused on the mission of driving awareness, adoptions, and affordability of open textbooks. Our focus is on community colleges and other 2-year institutions of higher education and the first two years (lower division) of 4-year institutions. Some of our activities also apply to K-12, upper division, graduate school, and life-long learning.
The Orange Grove offers open books and textbooks from many sources. An open textbook is one that can be freely viewed, downloaded, and self-printed. They may also have non-restrictive licenses that allow for customization and derivative works. Browse the full list of books, view the textbooks provided in the subtopic folders listed below, or use the Filter function to narrow your search using keywords.
In an effort to reduce costs for students, the and are available for free online and at a low cost in print. Educators can adopt these books as-is or modify them to fit their teaching approach.
College Open Textbooks Collaborative
This initiative focuses on promoting awareness and adoption of open textbooks, particularly in community colleges and lower-division courses at 4-year institutions. Their efforts also extend to K-12 education, upper division, graduate studies, and lifelong learning.
The Orange Grove
The Orange Grove offers a variety of open books and textbooks, available for free viewing, downloading, and printing. Many of these resources have licenses permitting customization and the creation of derivative works.
University of Minnesota
The College of Education and Human Development at the the University of Minnesota has created this has developed a catalog of open textbooks to be reviewed by faculty members.
Do you want to use open textbooks within your class?
Need some help to make this idea come to life?
Simply send an email to Educational Technology at et@fscj.edu and we would be happy to assist!for faculty review, aiming to reduce costs for students.
Conclusion
Open textbooks are a powerful tool in modern education, offering flexibility, accessibility, and affordability. They empower educators to tailor course materials to better meet student needs while significantly reducing costs. Institutions looking to incorporate open textbooks can leverage a variety of resources to enhance their educational offerings.
Contact Information
For assistance in integrating open textbooks into your curriculum, please contact Educational Technology at et@fscj.edu.