Resources for Building OER: Word, Google Docs, PDF's and Pressbooks

Resources for Building OER

There are many resources or programs you can use to help build OER for your course. What tools you will use to create your version of the textbook will depend greatly on what format you find the original textbook in and what you feel comfortable working with. We will briefly look at the different aspects of the most common resources used to build OER. 

Microsoft Word

Many people are already comfortable using Microsoft Word. You can make Word accessible and it can look professional with a little extra work. However Word is not a design program and does not have the capability as other publishing software. If you want to share anything you make using Word, you will probably need to covert it to another file type such as a PDF so students can download the document without being able to make changes.  Additionally, adapting Word Documents requires downstream users to have access to this program.

Google Docs

Google Docs is extremely easy to use and is available anywhere there is internet access. Documents can be shared and are easily accessible with a link. With Google Docs you have a place to access and store your document. However, like Microsoft Word, Google Docs is not a design program and does not have the capability to do anything other than basic functions for text, images, etc. 

PDF's

It is common that open textbooks may only be available as a PDF document. It is easy to redistribute PDF files. However, PDF documents are not easily editable. If you want to modify an open textbook that is only available in PDF format, you will need to convert the PDF document to one of the formats above.

Before you consider converting a PDF version of the textbook, you should contact the original author to ask for a copy of the textbook source files. Converting a PDF document to an editable format is a difficult, time consuming and imprecise process.

Pressbooks

Pressbooks Links to an external site. allows users to create professional online books. If you are comfortable using Canvas or have perhaps created a blog before then you will like using Pressbooks. 

Here are some pros and cons for Pressbooks:

Positives

  • Professional looking ebooks
  • Low cost of $19 or $99 (one time fee; regularly have coupons)
  • Downloadable in a variety of formats (two main e-reader formats, online, printable PDF ($99 version)
  • Customizable 
  • Used for OER at many top universities
  • Embedding video or audio link will transfer correctly to non-web/PDF formats
  • Visual placeholders for multimedia content

Drawbacks

  • There may be a learning curve
  • Cheap but not free for author
  • Can be imported into Canvas but takes some work
  • Many tools are only available with an "EDU" license which is quite expensive.

LibreTexts

LibreTexts Links to an external site. allows authors to easily combine pages from any OER textbook in their library.  They currently offer a library of hundreds of OER. Authors who find OER that are not their library can request that these resources are added.

Positives

  • An extensive library of books to draw from for curation
  • The ability to easily add individual chapters or pages from existing OER and to edit individual pages
  • Downloads include print, PDF, Canvas Cartridge and others
  • Has interactive features Links to an external site. including 3D visualizations, mulitmedia, embedded coding activities, and other embedded learning activities.
  • LibreTexts in a box allows for offline use of interactive components
  • Free for the instructor and for students

Drawbacks:

  • A somewhat steep learning curve

Optional ASCCC OERI Webinars

Curating and Publishing OER Materials Links to an external site.: For faculty who wish to adapt existing OER or create their own, how do they get started? And where do they place the content? This webinar will explore a few of the OER platform options available for faculty to house OER content, including LibreTexts, OER Commons, and Pressbooks.  

Curating and Publishing OER Resources – An In-Depth Look at Three Platforms Links to an external site.: Are you considering developing an OER text-equivalent or creating one by curating existing OER? These three webinars are a follow-up to an introductory webinar that introduced attendees to these platforms. In each of these one-hour sessions, a platform will be explored with a focus on the user experience. Topics to be addressed will include usability, accessibility, print options, attributions, available integrations, collaboration options, and interfacing with Canvas. Join us for one, two, or all three. 

LibreTexts “Freeing” the Textbook Links to an external site.: LibreTexts, housed at UC Davis, states that its mission is to “…develop an easy-to-use online platform for the construction, customization, and dissemination of open educational resources (OER) to reduce the burdens of unreasonable textbook costs to our students and society.” Join LibreText’s Executive Director to learn about what LibreText has to offer.

How-To webinars

Attributions

Adapted from 6 Steps to modifying an Open Textbook Links to an external site., BC Campus, OpenEd Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Links to an external site.