Read on to find out about open texts and the 2022-23 open textbook project but it may be easier to simply get in touch with the project team:

• Get in touch with Richard White or Kate Thompson by email.
• Join us at a scheduled Zoom drop-in hour (click to join or email Richard to forward the metting invite):
  Monday 9 May 12-1pm | Wednesday 11 May 10-11am | Wednesday 18 May 1-2pm
• Register for a training and information session via HEDC: Open textbooks: finding them, adapting them and support for creating them

Why open textbooks?

Do you have trouble getting students to engage with a textbook? How many of them buy a copy? Perhaps the library can’t get a licence to an ebook version? Are you worried about inequities amongst your students having access whenever and whenever they need it?

Open textbooks may provide a solution, where the whole resource is free and online for a whole class to access without logins or restrictions on downloads or printing. There are many high-quality ones already available – licensed for reuse and adaptation – whether you want something that covers academic writing skills, anatomy and physiology or something more specific like this psychology text adapted for use in New Zealand.

One open text developed locally has since 2015 been viewed over 500,000 times by more than 200,000 people across the world. How is that for real-world impact and visibility? — good for PBRF and your profile!

Reasons to consider incorporating OERs into your teaching practice:

• affordability – every student begins the semester with free access to the same learning materials
• access and accessibility – students have permanent free access to resources in multiple formats (for an example, select ‘Download this book’ on this resource to see the different formats available)
• equity – OER can help improve grades, particularly for students from low socio-economic and ethnically diverse backgrounds
• retention – students using open textbooks are more likely to complete than those using commercial texts
• deeper learning – OER enable teachers to customise their curriculum, creating deeper engagement for students
• diversity – OERs can reflect diversity in student populations by including gender neutral language, culturally diverse names and first nations representation and recognition.

The Open Textbook project 2022-23

The project is an initiative of the Consortium of Australian University Librarians (CAUL), with about 30 universities taking part in Australia and New Zealand. Otago can have two books published on the Pressbooks platform each year, so talk to us about signing up as soon as possible.

CAUL has extensive further information available:

• OER and Other Key Concepts provides a background to OERs
• The CAUL OER Collective Publishing Workflow covers every step of the process from planning to peer review to publication
• Join a Community of Practice with other academic authors
• Some authors may be able to apply for funding or support

Examples of open texts created in and for New Zealand

• Media Studies 101 [Pressbooks platform]
• Research Methods in Psychology – New Zealand Edition