Project launch: Open textbooks, diversified content and social justice

Open textbooks, diversified content and social justice: a national scoping study project launch

Interested researchers, librarians and academics are invited to the launch of a NCSEHE-funded research project at Deakin Downtown.

Attendees will have the chance to network with Deakin Teaching and Learning Staff and CRADLE (Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning) researchers.

Open textbooks are a recent innovation in free digital texts that can be:

• distributed at no cost
• printed at cost-price
• modified for local needs, such as to improve gender, socio-cultural and Indigenous representations in the curriculum.

Recent North American research suggests that equity students benefit most from free textbooks—similar to the benefits of scholarships/financial aid—by lifting grades and course progress rates. This study replicates the UK national scoping study with equity-focused additions, using a social justice framework to test the potential within the Australian context in terms of redistributive (economic) benefits, as well as the recognitive and representational benefits of making what is inside the textbook more socio-culturally inclusive.

The research team is are currently recruiting academics who are interested to participate in case studies of diversifying the content of their current textbook or learning resources.

To read more about the project, please visit the project website: http://australianopentextbooks.edu.au/

For any questions please contact Habiba Fadel, Research Assistant — habiba.fadel@deakin.edu.au

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/project-launch-open-textbooks-diversified-content-and-social-justice-registration-94093709819