OER Catalog

Introduction to Neuroscience  is designed for undergraduate students enrolled in introductory neuroscience courses. This book specifically targets students enrolled in Introduction to Neuroscience 1 and Introduction to Neuroscience 2 at Michigan State University and primarily contains topics covered in those courses.

This completed text will guide students through the structure and function of nervous system cells and nervous system structures, signaling within the nervous system, include various sensory systems, motor systems, motivation and reward, stress, sex and the brain, emotions, nervous system disorders, learning, and memory.

This text has been remixed and revised from two different open educational resources aimed at undergraduate neuroscience students:

Foundations of Neuroscience by Casey Henley, Michigan State University

The Open Neuroscience Initiative by Austin Lim, DePaul University

In addition, new original content has been added to supplement what was provided in the above texts. The text includes many images and animations throughout and will be divided into shorter chapters that focus on a single topic. As this text is meant for undergraduate students, the writing is aimed at students that have not taken a neuroscience course before. Neuroscience terminology will be defined throughout the text through the use of the embedded Glossary terms to help with ease of reading. Additionally, important terms are bolded. Many chapters will end with an interactive quiz for student self-evaluation of the content.

Find errors or have suggestions? Please email hedgesva@msu.edu

This book contains eight chapters. In the first five chapters, each chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is based on the conversation and presents the grammar and vocabulary necessary to deal with everyday situations. The Cambodian script and sound system are introduced in the second part of each chapter.

Each chapter has clear learning outcome, a review of the previous chapter, the review of the vocabulary, grammar points and cultural notes. The layout of each chapter is followed by three modes of communication (interpretative, interpersonal and presentation mode) across the four skills. Each chapter also has a listening, speaking, reading and grammar section, followed by interactive activities. Cultural notes and a few online available materials related to the theme of the chapter is also introduced. Each chapter ends with key vocabulary/expression and Grammar summary. Vocabulary in reading and listening is built in the conversation with the English translation so that learners can infer the meaning in the given context. Learning activities have been developed by using h5p so that learners can get immediate constructive feedback.

Basic Hindi is an online, interactive, and tech-enhanced textbook that promotes speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural skills. Each Chapter in this book has clear stated learning outcomes, a review of previous chapters, reading/listening sections, study abroad section, relevant grammatical items, and cultural notes. The pedagogical approach in the book is mixed and informed by the socio-cultural approaches and the generative approaches of the Second Language Acquisition theory. The mixed theoretical backgrounds match diverse learning and teaching philosophies and styles. Following the learning outcomes guided by American Council of Teaching Foreign Language (ACTFL), this textbook aims for the novice learners to attain intermediate low to mid-level proficiency level. The textbook incorporates pictures, audio-visual materials, and activities developed on the H5P platform to keep learners engaged.

Basic Tamil is an online, interactive, and tech-enhanced textbook that promotes speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural skills. Each Chapter in this book has clearly stated learning outcomes, relevant grammatical items, and cultural notes. Each chapter is designed to teach the vocabulary needed as a building bloc as the student progresses to the next chapter. The pedagogical approach in the book is mixed and informed by the socio-cultural approaches and the generative approaches of the Second Language Acquisition theory. The mixed theoretical backgrounds match diverse learning and teaching philosophies and styles. Following the learning outcomes guided by American Council of Teaching Foreign Language (ACTFL), this textbook aims for the novice learners to attain intermediate low to mid-level proficiency level. The textbook incorporates pictures, audio-visual materials, and activities developed on the H5P platform to keep learners engaged.

This course book is meant to accompany the Michigan Trails—Trail Building, Law and Policy course currently being taught in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University. Topics covered include statutory and common law issues associated with trails; the ways trails are managed and promoted; the organizations that help build trails; the historical, cultural, and natural resources issues associated with trails; and the future of trails both in Michigan and nationally.

Basic Urdu is a theme-based, interactive open-source online textbook for the true novice learners of the Urdu language. The book aims to help true novice learners of the Urdu language to achieve intermediate low to mid-level American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency level. The book has eight chapters. Chapter 1 focuses on the Urdu script. Chapters 2 to 8 follow a similar pattern. They all begin with stated goals followed by three to four readings and listening, followed by grammar points. Reading and listening sections have the vocabulary, pre- and post-activities which follow a combination of pedagogical approaches to language teaching. It also has grammatical points so that users can build overall language proficiency inductively or deductively. Each chapter ends with cultural notes and extra online resources. The book has several interactive activities with in-built feedback for independent learners.

A reframing of past course offerings led to this student-led “Hookup” Culture course at Michigan State University in spring 2020 and provided students with content decision-making opportunities and a more profound voice as to their learning goals and outcomes. Dr. Denise M. Acevedo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures and shared educator in the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (CISAH) facilitated student-led research, discussions, and subsequent publication of a text formed from students’ actual “hookup” experiences. Students defined “hookup” culture, read and chose two-course texts, and subsequently categorized areas in which they were interested in conducting additional research, discovery, and discussion. Students’ collaborative research and conversations, and individually written reflections, although well-rounded, invite additional questions into “hookup” culture. Why are many left out of the research, conversations, and publications of data, such as those in the LGBTQ, African-American, Asian, and Native American communities? How might higher education humanities programs facilitate and support research into “hookup” practices also within these communities to ensure equality in scholarly practices? Why is “hookup” culture still a taboo topic for many and how might additional student-led research and scholarly publications change the narrative?

Taking up the challenge of navigating the complex world of digital humanities, Making Sense of Digital Humanities offers readers an exploration of the many ways scholars have employed the diverse toolkit of digital humanities to create a better understanding of the synergies and disruptions created by technological change. Rooted in a concern for the daunting tasks associated with teaching and learning about the digital humanities, this volume hopes to provide easy entry into a complex topic while highlighting how an understanding of digital humanities can transform our thinking about technology in the modern world.

This OER workbook aligns with the published OER textbook: Elementary Chinese I. Both the OER textbook and the workbook are designed for students to use, not teachers.

Through the power of H5P interactive activities, this workbook, employing an innovative e-writing approach, is designed to help beginning learners lay a solid foundation for the natural development of the Chinese language skills necessary to excel in their learning journey. At the heart of this method lies a focus on Chinese receptive skills that are essential for the development of communicative competences: listening and reading, seamlessly integrated with typing. This unique combination, unlike the traditional handwriting approach, not only fosters accuracy in listening and reading comprehension but also enhances their accurate pronunciation and typing in Chinese communication.

Growing from Reframing History, a podcast about history theory and practice, Reframing Digital Humanities: Conversations with Digital Humanists, Julian Chambliss, Professor of English at Michigan State University, brings together a diverse group of digital humanities practitioners to reflect on theory and practice. From the question of public engagement and knowledge production to considerations of identity and cultural production, the conversations presented in this work shed light on the ways digital humanities offer scholars tools to ask humane questions. Are the benefits promised being achieved? Are the right tools and training available? Are we asking the right questions? In this volume, scholars deeply engaged in using digital tools reflect on their work and this dynamic academic field.