Introduction to Open Textbooks

Term: Spring 2025

Date: March 6th, 2025

Time: 2:00pm - 3:15pm

Location: Newman Library Room 427 & Zoom

Instructors: Anita Walz

Presented By: University Libraries (LIB)

Description:

Do your students frequently ask if the textbook for your course is really required? Do you suspect that some, perhaps many of your students don't buy the book? Do you want to explore some relatively new options?

Open textbooks are full, real textbooks, created and used by faculty across the country. They are licensed to be freely used, customized, and distributed. Many faculty from around the world have chosen to freely share their original course materials with other faculty, students, and the general public as a service to their discipline and to their students.

In addition to alleviating the burden of textbook costs for students, open textbooks can be customized.  

This workshop covers:
- Discussion of course material perceptions and preferences
- Course material impacts on students
- What we mean (and don’t mean) by “open textbook”
- Creative Commons licenses
- VT’s Guidelines on Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Textbooks
- Other faculty reviews
- An invitation to write a short review of an open textbook (and get $200!)*

Over 1,600 open textbooks are available via https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks

However, open textbooks are not available for all subjects.

After the workshop, you will be asked to write a short review of an open textbook. Your review will benefit other faculty considering open textbooks. Stipends of $200 will be given to faculty for their participation and written review.
 
To be eligible for a stipend, faculty must apply here: https://bit.ly/intro-open-textbooks, participate in the workshop, complete a written review, and disclose whether or not they decided to adopt. You'll also need to submit a signed IRS form to VIVA so that you can be paid.

Additional information and assistance with open textbook customization is available.

The Open Textbook workshop is a benefit of VIVA's (the Virtual Library of Virginia, Virginia's Academic Library Consortium) membership in the Open Textbook Network, an alliance of schools committed to access, affordability, and student academic success through the use of open textbooks. The workshop is facilitated by Anita Walz of the University Libraries at Virginia Tech.

See also: https://guides.lib.vt.edu/oer/opentextbooksintro