Application and requirements

Applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of teaching faculty, representatives from K-State Libraries, student representatives, representatives from the Student Access Center and past textbook initiative awardees.

Winning proposals will be based on:

Viability

• The quality of the application and proposed resource
• The ability for the resource to be implemented in a reasonable timeframe

Utility

• Whether the quality of the intended product is reflected in its ability to actively engage students in the learning process
• Offers a potential for savings for K-State students

Sustainability

• Resources are openly licensed with the creator’s choice of public license
• Resources are created with Pressbooks or Libretext. Limited case-by-case exceptions for equally robust and stable resources on platforms with equal creation and dissemination abilities will be made. Learn more about platforms below.
• Resources are editable and able to adapt to changes in course material/needs and are built with tools that facilitate this

Accessibility

• The material meets accessibility standards that ensure all students are able to use the resource. Visit the Student Access Center website or the digital accessibility information in Canvas to learn more.

Grant-eligible resources need to be built in either Pressbooks or LibreTexts, two platforms built for OER creation. Independently built or alternatively robust platforms may be used on a case-by-case basis and are held to the same accessibility, discoverability and quality standards as the existing platforms.

Pressbooks

Pressbooks is a simple book production resource based on Wordpress and HTML. Highlights include:

• Easily ingest an existing Pressbook to adopt and adapt to fit your class and add your own content
• Use your existing materials and content with Microsoft Word document ingest
• Allows users to read it in the platform or export as a PDF, MOBI, EPUB, XML or other format

More information is available through the Pressbooks user guide, Pressbooks Community and Pressbooks YouTube channel. Contact cads@k-state.edu for questions about Pressbooks or to create an account.

LibreTexts

LibreTexts can produce resources that look like books and include interactive features. Highlights include:

• Frequent virtual LibreFests to assist those starting or wanting to learn more about the platform
• Active harvesting of OER into the platform supports revising and remixing
• Support for harvesting and setting up of resources and assessments not already in platform through LibreNet membership
• ADAPT platform supports adaptive learning technology (learning trees) H5P, WebWork and MyOpenMath problems.
• Includes gradebook and LTI-to-Canvas is being piloted
• Allow users to read on the platform or export as PDF, PeBL or ePub files

More information is available through the LibreTexts construction guide and the LibreTexts YouTube channel. Contact oati@k-state.edu for questions about LibreTexts.

In your proposal, please provide the required information for the following questions:

• Instructor information: Name(s), title(s), department, email(s), phone number
• Course information: Course name and number, section(s), annual course enrollment, semester(s) offered
• Current textbook information: Title(s), cost, estimate on how much students will save by using your open/alternative textbook
• Amount of funding requested
• Resource plan: Two pages maximum to address the questions listed below
  • How do you plan to go about replacing the textbook in this course? (e.g., use an existing open textbook, adopt an open textbook, gather resources or develop materials)
  • Have you obtained proper permission, if needed, for your resource(s)?
  • What format(s) will be used (e.g., PDFs, e-book, video, etc.)?
  • How can students access the open/alternative resource(s)?
  • How will the students be engaged in the learning process?
  • What are your anticipated outcomes?

1. Award recipients will be notified of the acceptance and added to an OATI Canvas course.
2. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be signed and submitted through Canvas, providing administration with account information, intended completion date and public license selected.
3. Upon all parties signing the MOU, the first half of the award will be transferred.
4. The resource is first implemented.
5. If the course fee is sought during the implementation period, recipients will fill out the course fee reporting survey.
6. Award recipients will submit brief reports (one-to-two pages) reflecting on their experience with their open/alternative textbook and the outcomes after the first semester of implementation.
7. The final report and final resource are submitted through Canvas.
8. The OATI panel approves the resource and transfers the final half of the award.