After reviewing the content and criteria in the Evaluating Open Textbooks section, use this topic to post your thoughts on what you think are the most important qualities of a textbook? Why? Thinking about textbooks you have used in the past, what do you like/don't like about them? Post your thoughts in this discussion topic.
Clint Lalonde
Posts made by Clint Lalonde
During the course of this week, please explore the different repositories and referatories listed in the Finding Open Textbooks section and try searching for open textbooks. As you search for open textbooks, post your thoughts about the different repositories and referatories in the discussion forum. Were you able to find what you needed? Was the material peer reviewed? Did the review help you evaluate the material? Were there other devices in place to help you evalute the content? What were your impressions about the different referatories and repositories?
It's important to remember that not all commercial entities are moneygrubbing scumbags like the ones who run the big texbook companies. When you encumber a work with the NC restriction, that also means that it's off limits to low cost schools in low income countries, many of which are for profit yet provide a decent, affordable education in places where there are no real public or non-profit alternatives.
This is an excellent point & example re) the implications of the NC clause. Thanks for making it.
While the ND does limit the resource, I can understand why he chose the license. I think that, for those who have never released anything under a CC license, it can feel like a daunting and quite intimidating task to give up control of what you create.
I like that Joe included his reasoning - like he felt it was a good first step. I wonder if, as time goes by, he will review his decision as he gets more comfortable with the idea of having an openly licensed resource?
I think it's important that the ND clause doesn't neccesarily mean that the original author is opposed to someone modifying their content. Sometimes it is just a matter of contacting the author and asking if you can make a derivative. I can see that some authors may want to include an ND as a way to make contact with people who are using their resource. I know that Joe is creating a communtiy around his resource. Maybe his strategy with the ND caluse is also to make contact with people to ask them to come into his community? As far as sustainability models go, it seems like a pretty decent strategy.
Hi Chris,
You might want to take a look at some of the Siyavula resources. Siyavula is a project in South Africa focused on upper level (grade 10, 11 & 12) math and science open textbooks & they have released their titles as open textbooks.
Everything Maths http://everythingmaths.co.za/
Everythings Science http://everythingscience.co.za/