The document summarizes the development of an open educational resource (OER) textbook on music theory created by researchers at the University of Edinburgh. It began as a Coursera MOOC in 2014 and was adapted into a for-credit course in 2018. With support from the OER Service and Reid School of Music, students helped transform it into an open etextbook in 2021. Usage statistics show it has been downloaded over 2,000 times across several countries. The project aims to improve access to music education through open licensing of teaching materials.

1. Fundamentals of
Music Theory
Co-creating sustainable open textbooks for
music education
by
Lorna M. Campbell, Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu,Ana Reina Garcia, Nikki
Moran & RebeccaWojturska

2. Global Open Educational Resources Logo, CC BY 3.0,
Jonasathmello, on Wikimedia Commons
Open Educational Resources
(OER) are learning, teaching and
research materials in any format
and medium that reside in the
public domain or are under
copyright that have been released
under an open license, that permit
no-cost access, re-use, re-
purpose, adaptation and
redistribution by others.
~ UNESCO Recommendation on OER

3. University of Edinburgh OER
Policy
• http://open.ed.ac.uk/about/
• Approved by Learning and Teaching
January 2016, updated 2021
• Encourages staff and students to use,
publish OERs to enhance the quality of
student experience.
• Helps colleagues make informed
creating and using OER.
Scottish Metrical Psalter, Thomas Wood, 1562 – 1592, University of
Edinburgh, CC BY, https://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/s/y2dt97

4. OER Service,
https://open.ed.ac.uk/

5. Open Textbooks, Guilia Forsyth,
Public Domain Image on Flickr,
https://flic.kr/p/eR9rSr

6. Our student partners: Ana Reina Garcia, Kari Ding, Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu.

7. Open eTexbooks for Access to Music Education project blog
https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/opentextbooks/

9. Fundamentals of Music Theory https://doi.org/10.2218/ED.9781912669226

10. Fundamentals of Music Theory Channel
https://media.ed.ac.uk/channel/Fundamentals+of+Music+Theory/

11. Critical approaches to the hidden curriculum with hybrid learning in Music
https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/fundamentalsofmusictheory/

12. Fundamentals of Music Theory https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/study/short-course/fundamentals-music-theory-mooc

13. Fundamentals of
Music Theory
Coursera MOOC (2014)
One semester 20 credit
BMus Music course
(2018)
Free to use image by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

14. Fundamentals of
Music Theory
Coursera MOOC (2014)
One semester 20 credit
BMus Music course
(2018)
Open etextbook
(2021)
Free to use image by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

15. Fundamentals of
Music Theory
Coursera MOOC (2014)
One semester 20 credit
BMus Music course
(2018)
Open etextbook
(2021)
Revised Coursera
MOOC (2022) Free to use image by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

16. Co-creating Learning
1. Identifying gaps
2. Critical sophistication
3. Learner awareness
Composer's Orchestra Get Improvisational by Paul Dodds, © University of Edinburgh

17. Student Experience

18. Ifeanyichukwu’s Final Reflection
https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/opentextbooks/2021/07/15/
ifeanyichukwus-final-reflection-on-the-project/

19. “ I was able to contribute towards repositioning some of
the topics ... to allow for a smooth transition between topics in a
way that is simplified for someone new to music theory. Hence,
the inclusion of student agency in the creation of the e-
textbook will not only be transformative for the intern’s student –
teacher collaborative experience but in extension to other students
who will use the final e-textbook. ”
~ Ifeanyichukwu Enzinmadu

20. “ Attending other seminars by speakers from around the world
further opened up my mind towards understanding OER in a
broader perspective... the OERxDomain 2021 conference has not
only broadened my understanding of OER but also challenged me
to think about OER as a multidimensional art. ”
~ Ifeanyichukwu Enzinmadu

21. Ana’s OER Conference Reflection
https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/opentextbooks/2021/05/17/
oerxdomains21-conference-reflection-ana-reina/

22. “ It has been a great experience to participate and listen to what
other colleagues in OER had to say. Every day I am learning more
about OERs and the infinite possibilities and applications that exist! ”
~ Ana Reina Garcia

23. Rebecca Wojturska, Open Access Publishing Officer
University of Edinburgh, UK

24. Background
• We launched a journal hosting service using Open Journal Systems
(OJS) in 2009
• Not a publisher (no responsibility for peer review, production, etc.)
• Focus on hosting, support and providing publishing expertise
• Service is provided free of charge to staff and students of the
University of Edinburgh
• Shared service with other Scottish institutions. Small charges which
only serve to cover costs. Don’t make profit
• Service board
• One full-time member of staff and one day a week of tech support

26. Getting Started
• Led by academic demand
• Another step in the library’s commitment to investing in Open Access
• Rising costs of e-textbooks
• Academics can tailor textbooks to their own courses at no cost to the
students
• Increasing online-based research
• Decided to use Open Monograph Press (OMP)
• Created framework using existing one in place for journals

27. Book Hosting Service
• We offer:
−Fully Open Books hosting platform, ongoing technical
support, preservation
−Training, documentation, advice, policies
−Initial set-up, limited customisation
−ISBNs, chapter DOIs, metadata delivery
−Indexing support e.g. DOAB
−Annual reporting
• Access, Creative Commons licences, no APCs
• Diamond open access = more inclusive publishing

28. Fundamentals of Music Theory
• Book downloads: 2,448
• Unique web users: 1,082
• Top three referral sites:
- open.umn.edu
- (direct)
- e-booksdirectory.com
• Top three users by country:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- India

29. Rebecca Wojturska, Open Access Publishing Officer
University of Edinburgh, UK
@EdinDiamond | https://edin.ac/3Fi6Ngx
HAVE A BOOK OR JOURNAL PROJECT?
Get in touch!
edinburgh.diamond@ed.ac.uk

30. • Fundamentals of Music Theory
– Open eTextbook https://books.ed.ac.uk/edinburgh-diamond/catalog/book/ed-
9781912669226
– Coursersa MOOC https://www.coursera.org/learn/edinburgh-music-theory
– Open licensed videos
https://media.ed.ac.uk/channel/Fundamentals+of+Music+Theory/
– Project blog https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/opentextbooks/
• OER Service https://open.ed.ac.uk/
• Reid School of Music https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/reid-school-music
• Edinburgh Diamond https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-
services/research-support/edinburgh-diamond
• Student Experience Grants https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-experience-
grants
Scottish Metrical Psalter, Thomas Wood, 1562 – 1592,University of Edinburgh,
CC BY, https://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/s/3vpvr5
Resources

31. • Lorna M. Campbell, lorna.m.campbell@ed.ac.uk, OER Service
• Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu, i.s.ezinmadu@sms.ed.ac.uk, Reid
School of Music
• Ana Reina Garcia, a.reina-garcia@sms.ed.ac.uk, Reid School
of Music
• Dr Nikki Moran, n.moran@ed.ac.uk, Reid School of Music
• Rebecca Wojturska, Rebecca.Wojturska@ed.ac.uk, Library &
University Collections
This presentation is licensed CC BY 4.0, University of Edinburgh, unless
otherwise indicated.
Scottish Metrical Psalter, Thomas Wood, 1562 – 1592,University of Edinburgh,
CC BY, https://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/s/4qke3s
Contact