Adapting or modifying educational resources is what gives open the competitive advantage over its commercial counterparts. Adapting an educational resource means that a faculty member can change the content to best suit the learning outcomes of their course; it means that students can take an active role in adapting and changing material for assignment and assessment purposes. However, adapting is rarely done across open educational projects. BCcampus's Open Textbook project is one of the few open projects to have successfully completed a series of adaptations on a number of open textbooks. This presentation will walk you through the steps of HOW to adapt an open textbook. Participants will be introduced to a step-by-step approach to adaptation, including technical format considerations and style guide supports. Participants will leave the session with an adaptation toolkit, produced by BCcampus, that is CC licensed and can be adapted for the needs of each institution or project.

1. The HOW of Adapting
an Open Textbook
Lauri Aesoph, Manager Open Education, BCcampus
13th Annual Open Education Conference
Richmond, VA
November 3, 2016
Unless otherwise noted, this work is released under a CC BY. 4.0 International license.
Feel free to use, modify, or distribute any or all of this presentation with attribution.

2. 168 open textbooks
o 54 new creations
o 10 major adaptations
o 12 ancillary resources
What is the B.C. Open Textbook Project?

3. B.C. Open Textbook Project Updates
o Over $2 million student savings
o Project work using Hewlett Foundation funding
o Lead the Canada OER group
o Adoption and adaptation workshops
o Support materials and resources
o Adding OpenStax books to Pressbooks
Man by open textbook display table by Vancouver Island University used under a
CC BY license.

4. Agenda
1. HOW to adapt an open textbook: parts 1 and 2
2. Solution 1: Step-by-step approach
3. Solution 2: Technical support and Pressbooks Guide
4. Solution 3: Adaptation Guide
5. Final tips

5. How to Adapt
Parts 1 & 2

6. How to Manage the Adaptation of Open Textbooks
Project management of 10 major adaptations.
o Hands on
o Time consuming
o All details
Learning phase
o Understanding
o Tested and refined tools and procedures
o Developed support materials

7. How to Delegate the Adaptation of Open Textbooks
OER Grant
o Hands off
o Much less time for the project
o Leave the details to the grantees
We share our
o Understanding
o Refined tools and procedures
o Support materials, help, and trainings

8. Challenges
o We knew there would be issues.
o We didn’t know what they’d be.
o Assumed all open textbooks contain only openly licensed material.
o Assumed faculty knew about open, writing, and technology.
o Assumed that adapting a textbook is easier than writing one.
o Project timelines didn’t always prevent delays.
o Working on an open textbook is different than a print textbook.
These challenges hold true whether you are adapting with
full support of a project or doing it on your own.

9. Rewards
o Control pedagogical approach: chunk content, re-order, remix
o Content adapted to learners context and different teaching situations
o Fit to meet needs of learners: improve outcomes
o Correct errors / inaccuracies
o Updated to reflect latest discoveries
o Add resources: videos, case studies, examples
o Expand on topics
o Add varying points of view

10. Solution 1
Where to Begin

11. Decisions, Decisions…
Add to the book?
• Insert one or more new chapters, sections, paragraphs.
• Add activities, examples, case studies, media
Delete something from the book?
• Remove one or more chapters, sections, paragraphs
• Remove activities, examples, media
Reorder parts of the book?
• Change the chapter / section sequence
Remix content into the book?
• Bring content in from other sources

12. Before You Begin: 3 Steps
Image: Step Background Public Domain
1. Check the license
• Items not openly licensed?
2. Check the format
3. Editing tools?

13. 6 Steps for Adaptation
Image: Step Background Public Domain
1. Make a plan
• What will be changed?
• Style guide, language and tone, references and
citations
2. Identify other open resources
3. Choose a license
4. Output formats
5. Editing
6. Publish and distribute

14. Four Common Concerns
I CAN’T DO IT YES, YOU CAN
Where do I begin? • Adaptation Guide
• Pressbooks Guide
I don’t have time. • Start small when it comes to
changes.
• Think big when it comes to the
pedagogical potential.
I can’t find resources in
my subject area.
• Open Textbook Directory
• Librarian
• Teaching & Learning Centre
I don’t know how to use
Pressbooks.
• Pressbooks Guide
• Training Webinars

15. Listen to faculty
o Improves guides and FAQ so they address the realities of adaptation
o Gather the details of the problem so you clearly understand the issue
Enlist institution’s help
o Moves support from our project to the institutions
o Opportunity to teach institution and learn from them
o Builds open education community
o Networking within and between institutions
o Learn about unknown OER
What we try to do

16. Solution 2
Technical
Support

17. 1. Pressbooks training
2. Institutional support and community
3. Support materials: FAQ and Pressbooks Guide
4. Helpdesk and individual assistance
Pressbooks > Procedures > People = Patience

18. Tiers of service
o Tier 1: Moving faculty from full service to self serve Pressbooks
o Tier 1: FAQ / support materials (self service)
o Tier 2: Individual help - the project, helpdesk, student assts / co-op
o Tier 2: Institutional help - Teaching & Learning Centres, librarians
o Tier 3: Technical or high level help (project or institution)
What we try to do

19. Solution 3
Take Home
Adaptation Guide
Pressbooks Guide

20. open.bccampus.ca
Resources
Take Home Resources

21. • YouTube Videos
Pressbooks Support

22. Final Tips

23. Think big – act
small
o Don’t aim to re-write the
entire book
Collaborate
o Don’t go at it alone
o Find colleagues to help
out
o Consider cross-
institutional collaboration
Use available
resources
o BCcampus
Tips

24. Thank You
open.bccampus.ca
Lauri Aesoph, Manager, Open Education
laesoph@bccampus.ca
@lauriaesoph