Unit 1 Overview, Learning Goals and Glossary

Overview

Welcome! We're glad you're here. Thank you for joining us to learn more about open textbook publishing. 

Open textbooks are published textbooks that have been licensed to be freely used, adapted, and distributed. An open license is fundamental to their nature. One open textbook may differ greatly from another, but there are key elements that must be present for the book to be considered 1) open, and 2) a textbook. We will focus on these key elements in this unit. 

Elements of Open Textbooks

In this unit, we'll review Creative Commons open licenses, which are what typically make a book "open". We will discuss universal design and accessibility, two important frameworks for creating an effective and inclusive textbook. We'll also cover how to work with authors to create consistent textbook structure and select pedagogical elements.

Learning Goals

  • Recognize an open textbook and its key elements
  • Identify which Creative Commons license meets an open textbook authors’ intent
  • Identify the parts, structure and pedagogical elements of an open textbook
  • Recognize what universal design means
  • Identify basic practices that make an open textbook accessible 

Glossary

Accessibility: The concept of designing websites, e-books, textbooks, and other products in such a way that removes barriers so that people with disabilities can access the content.

Elements: Elements provide structure designed to aid in learning. Elements are what typically set textbooks apart from other books. Also called "pedagogical elements".

Open: Licensed in such a way that anyone can retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the work.

Structure: How a textbook's content is consistently organized.

Universal Design: Process of creating products (devices, environments, systems, and processes) that are usable by people with the widest possible range of abilities, operating within the widest possible range of situations (environments, conditions, and circumstances).1

1 Universal Design Links to an external site. in Accessibility Toolkit - 2nd Edition by BCcampus Links to an external site. (CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.).