In Challenge #1, you found an open textbook in the BCcampus Open Textbook collection. One of the advantages of open textbooks is that they can be modified and adapted under certain licenses. This means that if you want to only use a few chapters, or want to change an image or an example in an open textbook, you can do that! You can also grab sections of the textbook and cut and paste it into a different document so that you or your students can edit it.
Examples
- Principles of Microeconomics is an example of a textbook that has been reorganized and had the addition of 200 multiple choice questions, examples, eight case studies including questions and solutions, and over 200 editable figures as part of the adaptation.
- Introduction to Sociology – Canadian Edition is an example of an open textbook that has been Canadianized as part of the adaptation. More information about the process of creating that adaptation is described here.
- Teaching in a Digital Age was originally published in the BCcampus Open Textbook collection in English and now has translations in multiple languages.
Keep in mind that modifying an open textbook doesn’t need to be a big undertaking and involve the whole textbook, like the examples above. It may be as simple as changing an example in the book, or swapping out a photo or image.
Challenge
Scenario: You want to include a page of an open textbook as part of your course materials, but you need to change a few things on that page. This challenge will show you an easy way to do that.
Choose one of the two Options:
Option A
- Go to this page from Tony Bates’ open textbook called Teaching in the Digital Age.
- Select the contents of the page and copy and paste it into a new word document.
- Scroll the bottom of the page to the Activity Box. Remove the podcast reference. Change one of the questions. Save the document as you would normally onto your computer.
- In the comments section for this challenge share how you think the ability to modify an open textbook could help you in your teaching OR share what changes you would make to the textbook you found in Challenge #1.
Option B
- Go back to the textbook you found in Challenge #1.
- Select a page and copy and paste that page into a word document.
- Change one thing on that page and save onto your computer as you normally would onto your computer.
- In the comments section for this challenge share how you think the ability to modify an open textbook could help you in your teaching OR share what changes you would make to the textbook you found in Challenge #1.
Note: Attribution, or citing the source, is an important part of adapting CC content. We will cover that in another challenge.