Material Detail

This open textbook is being adapted for use in SPAN 101: Beginning Spanish, taught by Melinda Jackson at California State University, Chico. ¡Chévere! Introductory Spanish I from LibreTexts provides a cohesive beginning-language curriculum with contextualized vocabulary and grammar instruction, authentic cultural content, audio and multimedia resources, interactive practice exercises, discussions, and collaborative activities. Selected exercises from ¡Chévere! have been adapted by the instructor into graded Canvas quizzes with meaningful feedback, providing an assessed homework component to complement the extensive practice already available in the OER. The primary motivation for adopting this resource is to eliminate the financial barrier of commercial course materials while developing a zero-cost alternative to the digital homework platforms traditionally used in SPAN 101. One of the course's four units has traditionally consisted of an online lab component that includes instruction, practice, and graded homework. The goal is to preserve that robust online learning component without requiring students to purchase access to a commercial platform. As part of this summer OER adaptation project, two fully developed modules were completed, establishing the structure for the remaining modules to be developed over a full semester to complete the SPAN 101: Beginning Spanish course. The first two developed modules also culminate in an instructor-developed Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) that assesses interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication.

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.