Call for Proposals: Open Textbook Adaptation – Introduction to Sociology

Status: closed

Issue date: April 17, 2023

Closing Date: May 26, 2023

Download this call for proposals: Introduction to Sociology Adaptation Call for Proposals [PDF].

Description of Project

The successful project team will adapt the Introduction to Sociology, 3rd Canadian Edition open textbook to update and revise content to be more equitable and inclusive.

In particular this book will be adapted to ensure:

  • The resource is accessible, easy to use and understand, and customizable based on a student’s access needs. This includes but is not limited to applying web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), plain language best practices.
  • The resource is designed to support student learning and engagement.
  • The language used in the resource is accurate, respectful, and inclusive, and it reflects the preferred terminology of the person or group being discussed. 
  • Human diversity is represented throughout this resource in ways that are respectful and do not reinforce stereotypes. Underrepresented people and groups are present throughout the text, not just in specific sections on diversity.
  • Indigenous pedagogies and ways of knowing are incorporated throughout the resource to support decolonization, reconciliation, and Indigenization.
  • The resource highlights and engages with the diversity of knowledge and expertise in this field of study in a way that is accurate and inclusive.

For more information about how BCcampus understands these points, see the BCcampus OER Equity Rubric [PDF].

About the Open Textbook

Introduction to Sociology, 3rd Canadian Edition was adapted by William Little in 2015 from OpenStax’s Introduction to Sociology. The adaption focused on revising the book to make it relevant for Canadian post-secondary students. William Little published a second Canadian edition in 2016 and is nearly finished a third Canadian edition that will be adapted through this grant.

The third edition is not yet finalized, but a draft version of the text can be previewed here: Introduction to Sociology, 3rd Canadian Edition – DRAFT [PDF].

Since 2015 this book has been adopted by B.C. faculty in more than 275 sociology courses and has saved students over $1.4 million.

There are currently two reviews of the second edition of this book in the B.C. Open Collection.

What You Will Produce by the End of the Project

At the end of the project, the project team will have revised the textbook to centre equity, diversity, and inclusion in its approach and content. The textbook will be made available under a Creative Commons license for instructors and students around the world to use and adapt for free.

Available Funding and Supports

BCcampus will provide the following to support the project:

  • Direct funding to the project team: $17,500
  • Access to a curriculum equity consultant with instructional design expertise
  • Training and ongoing technical support on accessible publishing, open licensing, and Pressbooks
  • Copyediting services when the project is complete

Estimated Schedule and Key Dates

Project Schedule

  • Notice of call for proposals: April 17, 2023
  • Call for proposals open house: April 28, 2023 (archives available below)
  • Deadline for receipt of proposals: May 26, 2023
  • Successful applicants announced: June 9, 2023
  • Anticipated start date for work: July 1, 2023
  • Project end date: March 31, 2024

Who Is Eligible to Apply

This opportunity is open to all faculty and staff at B.C. or Yukon post-secondary institutions. Teams with representation from multiple institutions are encouraged to apply.

How Proposals Will Be Evaluated

Proposals will be reviewed by a committee based on the Rubric for Evaluating Applications [PDF].

The proposal review committee will look for:

  • A diverse team that has the skills and experience to be successful in this adaptation
  • A clear vision for the project that is in alignment with the goals for the funding
  • A high-level workplan that centres collaboration and describes how the vision will be achieved
  • A realistic and easy-to-understand time line and budget

How to Apply

  1. Create a proposal using the application template [Word] as a guide.
  2. Get a letter of support from a program/department head or dean from each institution represented on the project team.
  3. Submit the application and letters of support by email before the application deadline.

The deadline for submission is May 26, 2023. Email completed proposals to Josie Gray at jgray@bccampus.ca.

If you have questions, please contact project manager Josie Gray at jgray@bccampus.ca or review the information session archives below.

In addition, we recommend that you:

  • Review the BCcampus OER Equity Rubric [PDF].
  • Investigate open education supports at your institution. You can start by reviewing your institution’s chapter in the Post-Secondary Directory.
  • Connect with possible collaborators. We encourage teams that include people from various roles and departments as well as people from multiple institutions.

EDI Adaptation Grant Information Session: Ask Us Questions

BCcampus hosted a virtual information session via Zoom on April 28, 2023, to give anyone interested the opportunity to drop in, listen to us talk about the project, and ask questions. Recording and archives are available below:

About BCcampus

The BCcampus Open Education team is funded by the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and the Hewlett Foundation. We aim to provide flexible and affordable access to educational resources by supporting the creation, adaptation, and use of open educational resources (OER). BCcampus is committed to equity in all the work we do. Read more about what this means to us:

Definitions of Key Terms

accessibility: What is needed so people with disabilities can access, engage with, and learn from the content being created. For more information, see the Accessibility Toolkit.

adaptation: The revision of an existing open educational resource (OER) by anyone who is not the original author.

anti-racism: A practice of identifying and opposing racism on a systemic level. For more information, see BCcampus’s Anti-Racism Statement.

Creative Commons license: One of the most commonly used open licences for educational materials. Creative Commons licenses give everyone, from individual creators to large institutions, a standardized way to grant the public permission to use their creative work under copyright law. See About CC Licenses.

H5P: A tool integrated with Pressbooks (the BCcampus publishing platform) that allows authors to build interactive activities and embed them in a book. For more information, see H5P.org.

LGBTQ2S+ inclusion: The respectful inclusion of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit, and others who fall outside Western society’s cisgender, heterosexual, and/or heteroromantic norms.

open educational resource (OER): A resource designed for educational purposes under an open license.

open license: A license that allows the creator to retain copyright of their work while giving others permission to use, share, and remix it (as long as they follow the terms of the license).

open textbook: A textbook published under an open license that allows for sharing, remixing, and reusing at no cost.

Pressbooks: A digital publishing platform designed to create and share open educational resources. BCcampus has an instance of Pressbooks available for everyone who works at B.C. and Yukon post-secondary institutions.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): An internationally recognized framework that strives to support teaching and learning practices that give students choice in how they engage with and demonstrate their learning. For more information, see the UDL Guidelines.