Material Detail

This open textbook is being utilized in a Criminology and Criminal Justice course for undergraduate or graduate students by Sylvia Valenzuela, Ph.D. at San Diego State University. The open textbook provides an overview of the three main components of the criminal justice system: the police, courts, and corrections.   The instructor develops PowerPoint slides directly from the textbook materials and she includes supplemental learning material such as readings, videos, and assignments.  The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to lessen the financial burden on students, but still provide them with a rigorous textbook.  Most students access the open textbook in pdf via a link provided on the course homepage and/or a link on the syllabus.

The California State University and MERLOT have partnered to showcase how and why faculty have adopted Open Educational Resources (OER) to facilitate equitable access to their students’ course materials. This Faculty Showcase represent Open Educational Practices where faculty are sharing their "know-how" for adopting OER in their courses.