http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Fri, 24 May 2013 16:10:10 PDT Fri, 24 May 2013 16:10:10 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=479642 The CSU’s Affordable Learning Solutions Campaign is designed to enable faculty to choose and provide quality educational content that is more affordable for their students. CSU students typically pay over $800 per year for their books. By reducing their expenses, we believe we can provide better access to a quality CSU learning experience. We are launching this campaign in 2010 and will be continuously improving the services to CSU faculty and students each semester. The Affordable Learning Solutions website is designed to:• Make it easy for faculty, staff, and students to find no/low cost course content that can substitute for more costly textbooks• Enable faculty to be recognized for their efforts in reducing costs for students• Share practices for using no/low cost digital content in CSU courses• Support campuses in customizing their strategies to enable affordable learning solutions http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=523370 Download the supporting PDF file for this episode http://bit.ly/f1v3iH from the Learning to Teach Online project website.This case study examines the use of eBooks and eReaders as an extension of the usual Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS). This initiative was undertaken as part of the DUCKLING research project (Delivering University Curricula: Knowledge, Learning and Innovation Gains) conducted by the Beyond Distance Research Alliance at the University of Leicester in the UK. While the context of this study involves distance students, using electronic books can have applications in any discipline where students are required to undertake a significant amount of reading. This case study discusses some advantages of using eBooks, and outlines the process involved in creating and uploading them to an eReader device. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=616851 ״Kno delivers the same textbooks students are used to, only better. With over 70 amazing features, Kno goes to work for you.Some reasons why studying just got better:* Search: Your textbooks with a search engine* Organize: Import PDFs + Textbooks all-in-one place and organize it as you wish* Journal: Your very own Cliffnotes are automatically created from your highlights, sticky notes, bookmarks and anything else you do.* Pen: Mark your textbook like you’ve never done it before* Dropbox: Connect directly into your own folder to bring everything to your finger tips* Cloud: All your hard work is saved by Kno. Never have to worry about losing your notebook again* 3D: Yep, 3D animations in 2D books (only available in some books)* Smart Links: Capture, watch and link content from the web directly into your textbook (only available in some books)* Flashcards: Free flashcards from glossary terms for instant review (only available in some books)״The app is free http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=354417 In the books 30 essays, prominent leaders and thinkers in the open education movement reflect on current and past open education initiatives, offer critical analyses, share the strategic underpinnings of their own work, and delve into open educations implications in three areas: technology, content, and knowledge. Together, they address the central question of how open education can improve the quality of education. The authors comprised of faculty, researchers, administrators, academic technology experts, foundation program officers and scholars, and directors of major open education projects examine what challenges need to be addressed, what potential synergies can be realized, and what opportunities should be seized for a better future for education. Based on this collective agenda, the editors found that in order to open up education in ways that can dramatically advance learning and teaching, educators and administrators need to: Investigate the transformative potential and ecological transitions of open education Change educations culture and policy Make open education solutions sustainable Make practice and knowledge visible and shareable Build the teaching and learning commons through the collectivity culture http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=387821 This article from the Chronicle explains the experience of Northwest Missouri State University with electronic textbooks. The author spoke with professors, students, and administrators at Northwest Missouri to develop six lessons for any university considering assigning digital textbooks. These include: 1. Judge e-books by their covers; 2. Learning curves ahead; 3. Professors are eager students; 4. Long live batteries; 5. Subjects are not equally e-friendly; and 6. Environmental impact matters. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=398176 ״This article focuses on the process that Northwest Missouri State University followed in studying the feasibility of transitioning from the rental of traditional textbooks to the rental of e-textbooks, along with the extensive integration of e-textbooks across the university’s academic environment. The process consisted of three phases, with changes made along the way to reflect feedback and insights gained from students, faculty, and administrators involved in the program.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=655529 Alison offers 400 free interactive, multimedia, Online courses to help you explore and discover new learning opportunities in Business, Economics, and IT programming. It also has courses in K-12 Education, Health and Safety, and Personal Development. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=735831 This site has some links to free online textbooks. A couple were only samples, but the rest were full textbooks for free. Download and viewing options vary as these are links offsite. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=360735 ״The January/February 2009 EDUCAUSE Reviewhighlighting the topic of opennessis now available online, including a feature segment on open/closed textbooks with commentary from all sides of the issue: publishers, students, authors, and institutions." This article looks at the publishers side of the open textbook issue and looks at ways they have addressed the issue such as customized college courses, digital delivery, and "popular 'born digital' supplemental and assessment programs, such as Pearsons MyLab.com series and Wileys WileyPLUS.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=735824 ״Bookboon's free online textbooks for students are focused and to the point. They are all written by highly respected professors from top universities in the world and cover topics such as economics, statistics, IT, engineering and natural science.״Each book can be downloaded as a PDF from this site. All of these books are already cataloged separately in MERLOT.