OER Catalog

This “textbook” is interactive, meaning that although each chapter has text, they also have interactive HTML5 content such as quizzes, simulations, interactive videos, and images with clickable hotspots. Students receive instant feedback when they complete the interactive content and, therefore, can learn and check their understanding all in one place. I still consider this textbook to be fairly text-heavy and will continue to make even more interactive content!

The image on the cover represents the creation of this book. I pulled most of the content from open resources, modified them, added questions, and now offer them for you to use!

I chose the content to align with two courses that I teach: Environmental & Organismal Applications and Biomedical Applications. Unit 1 introduces students to science, which both courses use. Unit 2 covers content necessary for understanding conservation implications (the underlying theme of the course is de-extinction), and Unit 3 focuses on proteins so that students can understand the implications of modifying DNA (the underlying theme is CRISPR).

Please use this book as you see fit for your classes. I look forward to hearing how to make this book even more useful in the future!

Basic Vietnamese is written by Tung Hoang at Michigan State University. This is a comprehensive, interactive textbook designed for true novice and low-novice learners of the Vietnamese language. The book aims to help students achieve Novice high or Intermediate low proficiency according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards. With 15 chapters and nine pronunciation sections, this resource covers essential grammar structures, practical vocabulary, and cultural insights.

Each chapter in the book follows a consistent pattern, featuring conversations, useful vocabulary, grammar structures, culture notes (when applicable), and further practice exercises. The book introduces phonetics in the first part, across nine separate sections. Specific learning outcomes are provided for each chapter, focusing on communication goals. Interactive activities and multimedia materials, compiled and designed with the help of native speakers, ensure authenticity and engaging learning experiences.

Drawing from a combination of pedagogical approaches, Basic Vietnamese encourages both inductive and deductive learning, allowing students to grasp language concepts through context and analysis. The book emphasizes the development of all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), fostering well-rounded proficiency.

Artist, poet, playwright, feminist, inventor, and entrepreneur Mina Loy (1882-1966) played a major role in Futurism, Dada, and Surrealism, but has been marginalized in the annals of the historical avant-garde and almost completely omitted from modern theater history. Published together here for the first time, the plays of Mina Loy are full of frank expressions of female desire and satirical critiques of social hierarchies. These Futurist poetic dramas provide catalysts for conversations about issues that remain volatile today: gender identity, free speech, reproductive rights, equity, and access, and serve as a palpable reminder of the contributions of women to an avant-garde arts tradition that has historically championed white, European men. In addition to the play scripts, this book includes performance video and production and design notes.

This open textbook is intended for beginning students of Arabic in their first semester.  This OER is unique in its presentation of Arabic language content through theme-based modules. Each theme is addressed through vocabulary, grammar, reading, speaking, and writing components. Each chapter includes self-check embedded quizzes that help learners digest language concepts. The book is also designed with teachers in mind. Each chapter includes pair work and group tasks that the teacher can implement in class and other parts that can be assigned as homework. The focus of the book is to build literacy in Standard Arabic structure in a simplified and sequenced approach while emphasizing speaking skills. By the end of this course, students will be well prepared for building their competence in a sequenced and organized manner in the following parts of this series.

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.

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.