Material Detail

This open educational resource (OER) adoption replaces the traditional textbook Energy, Environment, and Climate (4th Ed.) with a curated collection of freely accessible, high-quality open resources aligned with course learning objectives. Implemented in an upper-division general education engineering course at California State University, Long Beach, this approach provides students with zero-cost access to core content while maintaining academic rigor and alignment with scientific principles. The adopted materials include OpenStax textbooks, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resources, NASA climate science modules, and data-driven platforms such as Our World in Data. These resources collectively support interdisciplinary learning across energy systems, environmental science, and global sustainability. The primary motivation for adopting OER was to eliminate textbook costs (approximately $100–$150 per student), increase accessibility, and allow customization of materials to better match course outcomes. Students access all materials through Canvas and external open repositories, ensuring flexibility across devices and learning environments.