B.C. Open Education Updates
38 Open in 2024
January
Reminder: B.C. Open Textbook Collection Retiring
On February 1, 2024, the B.C. Open Textbook Collection will no longer be hosted on the BCcampus OpenEd website. Open textbooks and open course packs will continue to be available in the B.C. Open Collection.
For more information, see FAQs on the BCcampus OpenEd Help page.
Please email open@bccampus.ca with questions.
Open Ed and Education in 2023
- The Top Ten in Review: 2023 (Academica Forum)
- The Indigenous Top Ten Year in Review: 2023 (Academica Forum)
- The Year in Review: 2023 in The Scholarly Kitchen
- Pressbooks Community Impact: 2023
- Out and About: Fall 2023 Conference Season Takeaways
- Rebus Reflects: OER Highlights of 2023
- GO-GN Annual Review 2023
Open Ed Opportunities
DID YOU KNOW …
We are currently seeking evaluators for the following open textbooks (and more!) that we are considering adding to the B.C. Open Collection:
- Geological Structures: A Practical Introduction
- The Complete Subjective Health Assessment
- Introduction to Engineering Thermodynamics
- Human Resources Management – Canadian Edition
- Business Mathematics
- Trade Skills for Success: Numeracy
This is a paid opportunity, and all subject matter experts working at post-secondary institutions in Canada are welcome to apply. For more information, see Evaluate OER Under Consideration.
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Finance: Corporate Finance and Introduction to Financial Analysis
- Nursing: Social Determinants of Health in Nursing Education
New in B.C.
- KPU: An Open Guide to Integrated Marketing Communications by Andrea Niosi and KPU Marketing 4201 Class of Summer 2020 and Organizational and Managerial Wisdom – 2nd Edition (Audio plus text version) by Brad C. Anderson
- TRU: Apprentice Plumber audio files by Paul Simpson / BC Piping Articulation Group
Generative AI and OER
- ChatGPT Has Changed Teaching. Our Readers Tell Us How. (Chronicles of Higher Education, December 11, 2023)
ICYMI
February
DID YOU KNOW …
That the B.C. Open Collection website includes a Contribute link in the top right-hand corner of its home that leads to a list of ways that the post-secondary community can contribute to open education with BCcampus.
New in the B.C. Open Collection
- forall x: An Open Introduction to Formal Logic – Fall 2023 Edition (Calgary)
- Personal Care Skills for Health Care Assistants (funded in part by a BCcampus Health OER Grant)
The following OpenStax books will be archived on June 3, 2024, as they have been replaced by new editions:
- Algebra and Trigonometry (replaced by Algebra and Trigonometry – 2e)
- Astronomy (replaced by Astronomy – 2e)
- College Algebra (replaced by College Algebra – 2e)
- Precalculus (replaced by Precalculus – 2e)
- Principles of Economics – 2e (replaced by Principles of Economics – 3e)
- Principles of Macroeconomics – 2e (replaced by Principles of Macroeconomics – 3e)
- Principles of Microeconomics – 2e (replaced by Principles of Microeconomics – 3e)
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- English Language Learning (ELL): 51 Bite-Size Lessons on Verbs
- Environmental Studies: Regulations and the Environment: The Canadian Environment
- Fertility & Human Reproduction: Human Reproduction: A Clinical Perspective
- Music: Music Appreciation: History, Culture, and Context
New in B.C.
- Accessible Admissions: Fostering Equitable, Accessible, and Inclusive Admissions through Disability Justice – British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT)
Project Update
The following BCcampus Open Education funded project has been completed.
- ZTC Business project – Douglas College
Generative AI and Education
- To prompt or not to prompt: SFU instructors share their approach on the use of ChatGPT in their courses
- AI webinars
ICYMI
March
On August 1, 2024, BCcampus will retire the email opentext@bccampus.ca. This distribution list email began in 2013 to serve as the general email to use for the open education community to send queries and the, then, B.C. Open Textbook Project staff to share information and updates.
Since then, the focus for BCcampus–and the post-secondary community–has expanded from open textbooks to all matters related to open education. Which led to the decision to reflect this broader perspective in our general open education email address, open@bccampus.ca, released in 2022.
DID YOU KNOW …
There is a BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education recognizes outstanding contributions to the open education movement in British Columbia.
New reviews in the B.C. Open Collection
- Introduction to Psychology – 1st Canadian Edition from NLC
- Ethical Use of Technology in Digital Learning Environments: Graduate Student Perspectives – Volume 2 from CNC
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Early Childhood Education: The Early Literacy Journey: Supporting and Celebrating Young Learners
- Education/Disabilities: Teacher’s Guide to Using Literature to Promote Inclusion of People with Disabilities
- Music: Unlocking the Digital Age: The Musician’s Guide to Research, Copyright, and Publishing
- Pedagogy and Instructional Design: Pedagogy Opened: Innovative Theory and Practice
- Professional Cook: Basic Scientific Food Preparation Lab Manual
New in B.C.
- Introduction to Marketing by Pamela Ip (KPU)
Generative AI and OER
- Gen AI and Open Educational Resources in Teaching and Learning – April 4, 2024, online event by UBC
- AI Unleashed: Deciphering the Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Lifelong Learning – webinar series from the University of Manitoba (upcoming sessions and recordings from past webinars)
Research
Barnes, C., Vine, S., & Nadeau, R. (2024). Assessing textbook affordability before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of student and faculty surveys. The Journal of Academic Librarianship. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2024.102864
ICYMI
- Recordings from the Open Education Conference 2023
- Recordings from Open Education Week: CCCOER
April
Open Ed Blogs and Events
- BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education: Anita Chaudhuri and Rishma Chooniedass
- BCcampus Launches an Open Education Support Community
- British Columbia Open Education Community Monthly Meetings
- Camosun College Open Education Recognition Awards: A Reflection
- Meet Kolibri: Expanding the Reach of BCcampus Open Resources to Learners Lacking Internet Access
DID YOU KNOW …
That the BCcampus OpenEd website includes information about current and completed open education projects funded by BCcampus Open Education.
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Chemistry: Chemical Group Theory
- Computers / Programming: Patterns for Beginning Programs: With Examples in Java
- Fashion: Adaptive Apparel Design
- French: Le pont: From Intermediate to Advanced French
- Research: Graduate Research Project Guide
New in B.C.
New in Canada
Ukrainian open textbooks from Alberta:
- Introductory Ukrainian (PodorozhUA)
- Ukrainian for Professional Communication (Вікно у світ бізнесу:ділова українська мова)
Generative AI and OER
ICYMI
May
DID YOU KNOW …
That you can report errors found in open textbooks posted in the B.C. Open Collection by using the Report an Error form.
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Electricity: Smart Grids
- English Literature and Writing: Elements of Creative Writing
- Laboratory: Introductory Bacteriology Lab Manual
- Microbiology: Microbiology Laboratory Manual
- Music: Multimodal Musicianship
- Spanish: Voy en camino: Spanish Language and Intercultural Learning
New in B.C.
Generative AI and OER
ICYMI
June
Open Ed Blogs and Events
-
- BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education: Jon Beasley-Murray
- British Columbia Open Education Community Monthly Meeting – June 19
- Kolibri Platform Helps Increase BCcampus’ Reach: Supporting Learners in Rural and Remote Communities
- Meet Kolibri: Expanding the Reach of BCcampus Open Resources to Learners Lacking Internet Access – recording and resources
DID YOU KNOW …
That there are several Open Education Initiatives across Canada.
New in the B.C. Open Collection
- Active Calculus: Multivariable – 2018 Edition
- An Open Guide to Integrated Marketing Communications from KPU
To be archived on October 1, 2024
New reviews in the B.C. Open Collection
- Student Success (NVIT)
Please note: We are currently not accepting new applications to review an open textbook.
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- English Language Learning: Common American English Pronunciation Patterns
- General OER Repositories: Public Domain Core Collection
- Greek and Roman Studies: Mythology Unbound: An Online Textbook for Classical Mythology
- Imaging: Undergraduate Diagnostic Imaging Fundamentals
- Persian: Tajik Persian: Readings in History, Culture and Society
- Statistics: Exploring Diversity with Statistics
Generative AI and Education
- Generative Artificial Intelligence: Practical Uses in Education (Open ED Manitoba)
ICYMI
July
On August 8, 2024, BCcampus will retire the email opentext@bccampus.ca. This distribution list email began in 2013 to serve as the general email to use for the open education community to send queries and the, then, B.C. Open Textbook Project staff to share information and updates.
Since then, the focus for BCcampus–and the post-secondary community–has expanded from open textbooks to all matters related to open education. This led to the decision to reflect this broader perspective in our general open education email address, open@bccampus.ca, released in 2022.
Open Ed Events
DID YOU KNOW …
That the Adoption Finder lists open textbooks adopted for specific courses at B.C. post-secondary institutions along side transferable courses which could potentially use the same open textbook.
New Review in the B.C. Open Collection
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- English Literature: Beowulf by All: Community Translation and Workbook
- History: Birth of Europe
- Human Resources: Human Resource Management – Canadian Edition
- Nursing: OpenStax Nursing open textbooks and Open RN Virtual Simulations
- Public Speaking: Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy
Generative AI and Education
- Toward a Sector-Wide AI Tutor R&D Program
- OER and AI focus groups – registration form
ICYMI
August
Open Ed Blogs and Events
- BCcampus partners with Creative Commons to support open education licensing
- OER Production Series – Find, Use, and Share Open Educational Resources
- OER Production Series: Technical Accessibility
- OER Production Series: Introduction to Pressbooks
- OER Production Series: Advanced Pressbooks
- OER Production Series: UDL and Open Educational Resources
- Accessibility Bites: Alternative Format Creation
- British Columbia Open Education Community Monthly Meeting
DID YOU KNOW …
That students attending post-secondary institutions in B.C. have saved over $39M since 2012. For more information on adoption stats, see Known Open Textbook Adoptions in B.C.
On December 31, 2024, University of Minnesota Libraries is unpublishing 25 textbooks that they republished several years ago with the author’s name removed.
Four of those books are in the B.C. Open Collection. BCcampus will be archiving these books on October 1, 2024, in line with our usual once-per-semester archiving dates. These books are:
New in the B.C. Open Collection
To be archived on October 1, 2024
New Review in the B.C. Open Collection
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Anatomy: Anatomy Video and Imagery Diversity Project
- Chinese: Elementary Chinese I and Elementary Chinese II
- Fashion: Business Communications for Fashion
- Kinesiology: Introduction to Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals
- Political Science: African Luxury
Generative AI and Education
- Bias in Algorithms: Artificial intelligence and discrimination (EU Agency for Fundamental Rights)
ICYMI
September
DID YOU KNOW …
That you can connect with and ask questions of the open education community in British Columbia through the BCOpen Community email and join its mailing list.
New in the B.C. Open Collection
To be archived on February 3, 2025
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Anatomy and Physiology: Fundamentals of Human Anatomy Laboratory Manual and Hands-on Anatomy
- Geography: Digital Cartography
- History and Indigenous Studies: North Dakota Tribal History and Culture Series
- Plant Breeding: Plant Breeding Methods
- Social Work: Rural and Northern Social Work Practice: Canadian Perspectives (2nd Edition)
Generative AI and Education
ICYMI
- OER Data Collection Toolkit (CARL Open Education Working Group)
October
DID YOU KNOW …
That the B.C. Open Collection and OER by Discipline Directory were mentioned in a recent research paper?
Walters W.H. (2024). Finding free OER textbooks online: Untangling the web. Publications, 12(4), 32.
New in the B.C. Open Collection
- Anatomy and Physiology – 2e (OpenStax)
- Introduction to Anthropology (OpenStax)
- Organic Chemistry – A Tenth Edition (OpenStax)
- Introductory Business Statistics – 2e (OpenStax)
- Introductory Statistics – 2e (OpenStax)
- Personal Care Skills for Health Care Assistants – 2nd Edition
New editions from Lyrx
- Business Math: A Step-by-Step Handbook – 2023-A-D
- A First Course in Linear Algebra – 2023-B-D
- Introduction to Financial Accounting – 2024-A-D
- Linear Algebra with Applications – 2023-A-D
To be archived on February 3, 2025
- Anatomy and Physiology (OpenStax)
- Business Math: A Step-by-Step Handbook – 2018 edition
- A First Course in Linear Algebra – 2021A edition
- Introduction to Financial Accounting – 2021A edition
- Introduction to Sociology: 2nd Canadian Edition
- Introductory Business Statistics (OpenStax)
- Introductory Statistics (OpenStax)
- Linear Algebra with Applications – 2021A edition
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Climate Change: Stanford’s Understand Energy Learning Hub
- Design: Origins of Contemporary Art, Design, and Interiors
- Research: Confident Supervisors: Creating Independent Researchers
New in B.C.
From KPU
- Anatomy and Physiology II: Student Resources and Lab Manual
- Organic Chemistry II
- Storying Universal Design for Learning
Generative AI and Education
- Interpreting A.I. in the News: A Media Literacy Lesson Plan (Aspen Digital)
OE Publishing
ICYMI
- Revealing 2024 Open Education Awards for Excellence Winners (OE Global)
November
Open Blogs and Opportunities
- BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education: Krista Lambert
- Scholarships for Creative Commons Certificate
- Creative Commons Certificate – 15% discount
- Creative Commons Learning Opportunity: Graduates Share Their Experiences
- BCcampus and Creative Commons Partnership Offers Educators Open Licensing Training
- Reflecting on Open Education Week 2024
- Call for Proposals: Open Education Week 2025
- ZTC – Open Educational Resources for Trades
DID YOU KNOW …
That BCcampus provides several support resources to assist with using, creating, and advocating for open educational resources. Directories are also available that provide links to open education projects, resources, news, and research.
New in the OER by Discipline Directory
- Climate Change: Building Resilient Rural Communities (by the Centre for Rural Health Research and Rural Health Services Research Network of BC)
- English Language Learning (ELL): Teaching Pronunciation with Confidence: A Resource for ESL/EFL Teachers and Learners
- Health & Medical/Publishing/Research: Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Medical Writing – An Editor’s Advice
- Japanese: Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1 and Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 2
New in B.C.
This summer, three new incentive grants were awarded to Columbia College‘s faculty as part of their ongoing efforts to support innovative educational resources. These projects join four additional implementation initiatives, including developing Open Resource Textbooks. Together, these efforts are projected to save students over $90,000 annually, reinforcing their commitment to providing accessible, high-quality educational materials. (CC Catalyst Newsletter)
B.C. Open Education Community
Listen to recordings from past meetings held by the BCOEC during which the challenges and practices of open education at post-secondary institutions in British Columbia and the Yukon are discussed. A transcript is attached to each recording and is downloadable in PDF or Word format.
Generative AI and Education
ICYMI
- On a Path to Open: A new report detailing key results from a study conducted with Ontario’s publically-supported colleges, universities, and Indigenous institutes about their capacity to support open educational practices (OEP).
December
There will be no newsletter for this month.