Document Type
Blog
Publication Date
7-28-2021
Abstract
The design of post-secondary level textbooks is a complex process which involves nding a right balance between the pedagogical needs of instructors and the preferences and learning styles of students. With many studies showing a general decline in student use of textbooks, as well as a growing emphasis in the OER community to “decolonize” open education and develop learning resources that are inclusive and support diverse learners (Thomas et al, 2019), creating textbooks that can translate content knowledge into engaging experiences that provide opportunities for learning to students of many backgrounds has become an important topic in recent years. Creative approaches to open textbook design and development that actively seek out perspectives from students of many backgrounds, address issues of cultural representation and are responsive to individual learner needs are critical to developing effective textbooks and enhancing the value of OER in wider academia.