It's time to rethink textbooks

This Open Education Week, 6-10 March, ACU Library asks you to think about the benefits of using open education resources, or even consider writing your own.

Tired of textbooks that do not consider diversity of voice? Annoyed when content doesn’t consider the Australian context? Exasperated by overpricing?

Then you need to know about Open Education Resources (OERs).

OERs are textbooks and other educational resources that have been released under a Creative Commons licence. This licence permits free access and gives options to re-use, re-purpose, adapt and redistribute the content.

Using OERs

Free, adaptable and shareable, sounds good to us. Contact us to help you discover and use OER textbooks in your teaching.

Creating OERs

Textbooks don’t have to be hefty tomes. OER texts can be short, focused on your subject or a specific area in your field, and they can also include interactive features.

Have you ever considered wetting your feet and writing a chapter? When you write your own, you bring the Australian context and your unique perspective. As part of the CAUL Open Educational Resources Collective, you have access to an open textbook publishing platform, which includes a range of support materials for creating your own open textbooks.

In 2022, ACU’s Intellectual Property Policy was updated to include support for staff who wish to develop and use open education resources.

Have we sparked your interest?

Contact a member of the OER project team for a lively discussion on OER publishing:

• Vanessa Tuckfield
• Clare Duffy
• Debra Wilden
• Frances Liston
• Francesca Higgins
• Lesley Adukonu