Paper presented at the World Conference on Online Learning, Dublin, Ireland, Wednesday, 6 November 2019 by Josh Halpern

1. The LibreTexts ProjectDelmar Larsen
Executive Director, Libretexts
Department of Chemistry
University of California Davis
Josh Halpern
Outreach Team Chair
jhalpern@libretexts.org
https://LibreTexts.org
https://facebook.com/LibreTexts
https://twitter.com/LibreTexts
info@libretexts.org
Biology Business Chemistry Engineering Geosciences Humanities
Math Health Physics Social Sciences Statistics Workforce
https://youtu.be/sxLmeHMgvTg
Twitter @JoshHalpern5

3. Numerical Impact
• 80 million pageviews per year 9.5 million per month
• 33% increase over previous year
• Most visited OER project on the net (outside of Wikipedia)
• Alexa rankings (10-15-19): 5,770 (global), 1,830 (US) & 3,174 (India)
Support LibreNet Institutions

4. “Before writing off ChemWiki as something that can't possibly work in
practice, consider how Wikipedia was viewed when initially launched.
... the economic model on which the current system of textbook
publication is based may not remain viable for much longer. ChemWiki
offers an intriguing alternative”. -- Rich Apodaca (2008)
Idea
Conceived
NSF CCLI
Proposal
Rejected
NSF TUES
Proposal
Rejected
NSF TUES
Proposal
Rejected
NSF TUES
Proposal
Rejected
NSF TUES
Proposal
Funded
NSF IUSE
Proposal
Funded
Dept. of Ed
FIPSE
Funded
NSF IUSE
Proposal
Rejected
Dept. of Ed
FIPSE
Rejected
Dept. of Ed
FIPSE
Rejected

5. EdTech
Today’s Textbook Market
• Publishers profits and income are lower
• Publishers are transforming into EdTech companies
• Digitization substitutes AI homework sizzle for textbook steak
• Inclusive access to kill off online pdfs, rentals and used books
• OER is a potential disruptor – sustainability is key and unknown
June Jamrich Parsons – The 2017 Book Report – Text and Academic Authors Conference 2017 also updates at link
https://www.slideshare.net/junejamrichparsons/the-digital-book-report-2017-educational-publishing-and-edtech

6. The OER Universe

7. Barriers to OER Adoption
• Not enough resources for my subject (49%),
• Too hard to find what I need (48%)
• There is no comprehensive catalog of resources (45%)
• Need an online homework systems and other support
Opening the Textbook - Babson Survey Research Group 2016
Onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/openingthetextbook2016.pdf

8. Our Mission
Implementing a Community built OER resource/
platform/portal that is Comprehensive and can be
Curated at multiple levels.
We need you
Free
No gaps, technically advanced
Living curated Library

9. Centralized vs. Decentralized Approaches:
Decentralized PlatformCentralized Platform
Efficient
High Stability
Pooled Resources
Effective Community Sharing
Lack of Local Control
Flexibile
Fragmented Ecosystem
Independent Resources
Inefficient

10. OER
Libraries
Scaling the LibreVerse

11. LibreTexts
Libraries
Javascript
Server
Jupyter
Notebook
(executable
code)
Query
Homework
Learning
Analytics
Bot
Curation
Server
LMS
TSUGI
LT LMS
Annotation
Hypothesis
Note bene
Scaling the LibreVerse

13. • Libraries span the undergraduate curriculum
• Can be used by faculty with minimal computer experience to
quickly create custom OER for their classes and students
• Facilitates collaborative and distributed OER building
• Instructors can remix and add content quickly and simply
• Advanced features eclipse PDF or paper-based books
• Zero cost to students and faculty
• A uniform cloud based infrastructure
• No local IT costs
• Enables analysis of student learning
• Allows data driven improvement OER to optimize learning
Why LibreTexts

14. Freeing the Textbook: Educational Resources in U.S. Higher Education- Babson Survey Research Group 2018
https://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/freeingthetextbook2018.pdf
Skipped Sections of the Textbook
Taught Topics in a Different Order
Replace Content with their Own Material
Replaced Content with Material from Other Sources
Corrected Inaccuracies in the Textbook
Revised Edited Material in the Textbook
Other
How Faculty Customize Textbooks

15. • Simple, self-service, drag and drop app for building LibreTexts.
Step 2: Remixer

16. Step 2: Remixer

17. Faculty
“Course
Reports”
LibreMaps
Remixing
Maps
Published
LibreTexts
OER
Remixer
LibreNet Consortium
Classrooms
Team
(Hack-a-
thons
& Sprints)
Development
Team
Training Support
Course Shells
Printed Books Dissemination
Accessibility
Analytics
Bookstore
Priority
Building Your LibreTexts

18. Base Membership
Single Sign On
Institutional Portals
Branding of Physical Texts
More than 10 Course Shells
One click ordering from LibreTexts Print Bookstore
Access to Development, Technology & Assessment Teams
Closed course annotation (hypothesis and note bene)
Advanced Membership
On Campus Training
Accessibility review
Support for OER construction
Ancillary materials (Homework systems, test banks, etc.)
Priority access to
Development, Technology & Assessment Teams
Public Access
OER Remixer access
Hosting of OER materials
Up to 10 course shells in a Campus Hub
Printing-on-demand Files for physical texts
Individual Annotations (hypothesis and note bene)
Sustaining the LibreNET Consortium

19. 7
Reach:
the right to
access the
content
The right to
get the
content
Read:
StudentRights

20. Accessibility – the right to READ the content
Uniform formatting allows rapid introduction of software across all Libretexts
Uniform formatting allow automation of accessibility improvement/implementation
Testing with SiteImprove for
• JAWS and NVDA screen reader optimization
• Improved from 40 to 70% within months and increasing
• Hypothes.is for annotation and feedback
• BeeLine Reader to enhance reading
• Jupyter for computation
(and to create 3D tactile models of Figures
• Choose paper size to print on A4 Letter Lulu
• Testing with ClaroRead
• Testing with Dragon for speech recognition

21. Availability – the right to REACH the content
• Cloud based IT through Mindtouch 99.4% uptime
• No local IT needed, web available
• Viewable on any HTML5 capable device
• All LibreTexts one click importable to local LMS via the LTI cartridge
• All pages one click printable as pdfs
• All LibreTexts books available as files from
on line Download Center for just in time printers
• LibreTexts-in-a Box where Internet
is not available

22. Join the LibreTexts Network
https://LibreTexts.org
jhalpern@libretexts.org
@JoshHalpern5

23. Backup slides

25. Print Your LibreTexts

26. LibreTexts OER On Ramp
Attend
OER
Institute
Identify
Topics
Locate OER
for Topics
Evaluate
Create OER
Map for
Course
Identify
Gaps
Analyze
Accessibility
Identify
Course
Librarian
Create
LibreMap

27. LibreMaps:
An organization tool for Content Construciton

28. WeBWorkMyOpenMath Open OChem
Independen
t Student
Machine
Learning/AI
Adaptive
Feedback
LMS /
Classroom
Grade Book
Modules
Due Dates
LMS Tools
Instructors
Roster/Students
Tsugi / LOR
LT Content
Interactive Tools
Common Cartridge /
Deep Linking
LTI Advantage
with Grade
Return
Campus
Analytics
Activity Data
Caliper /
xAPI
Tsugi / MOOC
LT Content
Grade Book
LMS Tools
Interactive Tools
Community
Tsugi / LMS
LT Content
Grade Book
LMS Tools
Interactive Tools
Roster
Independent
Instructor-led
Course
LibreTexts Learning
Activity Data
Caliper / xAPILTI Advantage
with Grade Return
BeSocratic
Anonymous
Students
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3
Student 4
Student 5
Exercise Delivery Applications
Need more than a Textbook: QUERY