The B.C. Open Textbook Project Turns Three

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scientific birthday
Three years ago on October 16, 2012, at the annual Open Education Conference in Vancouver, the then British Columbia Minister of Advanced Education, John Yap, announced the B.C. Open Textbook Project. BCcampus was asked to create a collection of open textbooks aligned with the top 40 highest-enrolled subject areas in the province. A second phase was announced in the spring of 2014 to add 20 textbooks targeting trades and skills training.
October 2014 marked the second year anniversary of the B.C. Open Textbook Project, at which point, we met the original target of the project and found or created open textbooks in the top 40 subjects.
As of October 2015, there are 118 open textbooks in the B.C. Open Textbook collection (with several more to come over the next few months). Included in this number are 38 open textbooks in trades and skills training, with an additional 16 titles to be released into the collection by November 1, 2015. This amount far surpasses the 20 we were asked to create in the second phase of the project
In addition to creating an open textbook collection, we have been keeping stats on students’ textbook  savings, adoptions of open textbooks, and the BC public post-secondary institutions that are using these resources. It is with great pleasure that we can report the following statistics (effective since October 2012):

  • Student savings in B.C. : $915,200 – $1,196,662
  • B.C. Adoptions: 285
  • Participating B.C Institutions: 18 (of 25)

If you are interested in learning more about the project’s statistics, please see our More Stats page.
The following titles reflect the open textbooks that have been created through the support of BCcampus.
Creations of Open Textbooks

  1. English Literature
  2. Physical Geology
  3. Supporting Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Illness
  4. BC Tourism and Hospitality Management
  5. Canadian History- Pre Confederation
  6. Criminology
  7. Graphic Design (coming soon!)
  8. Modern Pastry and Plated Dessert Techniques (Culinary Arts)
  9. Working in the Food Service Industry (Culinary Arts)
  10. Food Safety, Sanitation, and Personal Hygiene (Culinary Arts)
  11. Human Resources in the Food Service and Hospitality Industry (Culinary Arts)
  12. Basic Kitchen and Food Service Management (Culinary Arts)
  13. Meat Cutting and Processing (Culinary Arts)
  14. Workplace safety in the Food Service Industry (Culinary Arts)
  15. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Pack 4 (ABE English)
  16. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Reader 4 (ABE English)
  17. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Pack 5 (ABE English)
  18. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Reader 5 (ABE English)
  19. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Pack 3 (ABE English)
  20. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Reader 3 (ABE English)
  21. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Reader 6 (ABE English)
  22. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Pack 6 (ABE English)
  23. Adult Literacy Fundamentals Mathematics Book 1 (ABE Math)
  24. Adult Literacy Fundamentals Mathematics Book 2 (ABE Math)
  25. Adult Literacy Fundamentals Mathematics Book 3 (ABE Math)
  26. Adult Literacy Fundamentals Mathematics Book 4 (ABE Math)
  27. Adult Literacy Fundamentals Mathematics Book 5 (ABE Math)
  28. Adult Literacy Fundamentals Mathematics Book 6 (ABE Math)
  29. BC Geography
  30. Control Workplace Hazards (Common Core Trades)
  31. Describe WorksafeBC Regulations (Common Core Trades)
  32. Handle Hazardous Materials Safely (Common Core Trades)
  33. Describe Personal Safety Practices (Common Core Trades)
  34. Describe Fire Safety (Common Core Trades)
  35. Apply Study and Learning Skills (Common Core Trades)
  36. Describe Expectations and Responsibilities of Employers and Employees (Common Core Trades)
  37. Use Interpersonal Communication Skills (Common Core Trades)
  38. Describe the Apprenticeship System (Common Core Trades)
  39. Describe Common Hand Tools and Their Uses (Common Core Trades)
  40. Describe Common Power Tools and Their Uses (Common Core Trades)
  41. Describe Rigging and Hoisting Equipment (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  42. Describe Ladders and Platforms (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  43. Solve Trades Mathematical Problems (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  44. Apply Science Concepts to Trades Applications (Common Core Trades)
  45. Read Drawings and Specifications (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  46. Use Codes, Regulations and Standards (Common Core Trades)
  47. Use Manufacturer and Supplier Documentation (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  48. Plan Projects  (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  49. Describe the Basic Principles of Electricity (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  50. Identify Common Circuit Components and Their Symbols  (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  51. Explain Wiring Connections (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  52. Use Multimeters (Common Core Trades) (coming soon!)
  53. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Reader 1 (ABE English) (coming soon!)
  54. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Pack 1 (ABE English) (coming soon!)
  55. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Reader 2 (ABE English) (coming soon!)
  56. BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English Course Pack 2 (ABE English) (coming soon!)
  57. Baking Ingredients, (Culinary Arts) (coming soon!)
  58. Nutrition, and Labelling (Culinary Arts) (coming soon!)

The following projects reflect the open textbooks that have been adapted through the support of BCcampus.
Adaptations of Open Textbooks

  1. Writing for Success 1st Canadian Edition
  2. Intro to Business Statistics (coming soon!)
  3. Introduction to Sociology – 1st Canadian Edition
  4. Database Design-2nd Edition
  5. Introduction to Psychology – 1st Canadian Edition
  6. Introductory Chemistry- 1st Canadian Edition
  7. Mastering Strategic Management-1st Canadian Edition
  8. Principles of Social Psychology- 1st International Edition
  9. Project Management
  10. Research Methods in Psychology – 2nd Canadian Edition

We have also worked with faculty to create ancillary resources that enhance open textbooks. The following projects reflect the ancillary resources created with the support of BCcampus.
Ancillary Resource Projects

  1. Culinary Arts Exam Bank (email our team for access to the test bank files)
  2. Psychology Test Bank (email our team for access to the test bank files)
  3. Concepts of Biology- Lab Manual, Lab Prep Sheets, 10 Text Based Assignments, PPTs
  4. Canadian History Pre-Confederation videos (coming soon!)
  5. Canadian History Post-Confederation videos (coming soon!)
  6. Chemistry Powerpoint Slides
  7. Common Core Trades Test Bank (available for all of these open textbooks)

As with all of our open textbooks, we continue to ask faculty to review open textbooks. Peer reviews represent more than faculty engagement; they are also published alongside the textbooks and provide valuable feedback to other faculty who wish to adopt or adapt the textbook.
Additional outreach engagements over the past three years have included:

  • Convening an Open Textbook Steering Committee that provided valuable advocacy and advice as we got the project off the ground.
  • Hosting three Open Textbook Summits.
  • Launching the B.C. Open Educational Resources (BCOER) librarians group.
  • Presenting at numerous workshops, both virtual and face-to-face, at institutions and events across the province.
  • Hosting content sprints: intensive multi-day workshops focused on developing content (BCOER librarians group, textbook sprint, and two test bank sprints).
  • Developing a B.C. Open Textbook Accessibility Toolkit.
  • Creating the Faculty Fellows Program to further research and advocacy for open textbooks and open education.
  • Developing the Pressbooks Textbooks, a plugin for the open source WordPress plugin Pressbooks that adds specific open textbook features.
  • Collaborating with Manitoba on their open textbook program.
  • Collaborating with Alberta on their open educational resource projects.
  • Developing and continuing to evolve the B.C. Open Textbook Authoring Guide.
  • Engaging with our open education community within B.C. and around the world.

Lastly, we are co-hosting the international annual Open Education Conference in Vancouver November 18-20, 2015.  Please join us and find out where the B.C. Open Textbook Project is heading in 2016.