BC Open Textbook Summit 2017

This session will present a case study of the adoption of an open textbook Introduction to Sociology – 2nd Canadian Edition in a first year sociology course at one Canadian university in the fall of 2016. The instructor involved was experienced with the course, having made the decision to change the textbook after a conversation with staff from the institutional teaching and learning centre. Support (financial and human) was provided to enable the creation and open release of ancillaries (a text bank) that allowed for the textbook adoption. 

An existing open textbook survey (Jhangiani, Dastur, Le Grand, & Penner, under review) was adapted and distributed electronically to all students in the course. A 34% response rate (n=120/351) to the survey was achieved, providing valuable feedback for both the instructor and staff at the teaching and learning centre regarding their views of the specific textbook, print vs. digital preferences, and how the use of this resource sat in contrast to their experiences in other courses. Completion rates and average student grades for this course compared to previous offerings will also be presented.

Key implications of these findings for the instructor, the teaching and learning centre and the institution will be presented and discussed.

References
Jhangiani, R. S., Dastur, F., N., Le Grand, R., & Penner, K. (under review). As good or better than commercial textbooks: Students’ perceptions and outcomes from using open digital and open print textbooks.

Heather M. Ross

Heather M. Ross is an educational developer in the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Saskatchewan. She has been leading the open textbook and open pedagogy initiative at the U of S since 2014. She is also an OER Research Fellow with the Open Education Group.

Nancy Turner

Nancy Turner is Director of the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning and Media Production at the University of Saskatchewan.  Her role as Director involves strategic leadership across her portfolio along with leading and contributing to institutional initiatives to enhance learning and teaching. Nancy returned to Saskatchewan to take up this position in 2013 after a decade working in London England. Her previous roles include Acting Dean and Associate Dean of Learning, Teaching and Enhancement at the University of the Arts London and Director of Educational Development at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her work for the past 14 years has focused on strategic leadership of learning and teaching enhancement including initial and continuing professional development of faculty and graduate students, technology enhanced learning, reward and recognition for teaching, sustainability, student engagement in educational change, and open education. Her main areas of research are development of self belief, professional learning and change in higher education.