Open Educational Resources (OER) Program

All awardees have committed to the following:

• Participation in the January 2025 training session
• Good faith efforts toward completing the plan in alignment with the OER Project Timeline
• With support from the OER Team, implementation of accessibility best-practices
• Inclusion only of material that has been created by the OER authors themselves or has been openly licensed to allow for revision/derivatives
• Release of the OER with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license
• Submission of a signed agreement allowing MSU Libraries to publish and distribute the content under that license
• Successful implementation of the proposed plan and accomplishment of student cost-saving goals and/or other student success outcomes
• Submission of mid-project progress report, final report, and program evaluation
• Regular review, correction, and updating of content in the OER, to be carried out annually during the authors’ active affiliation with MSU, and permission for MSU Libraries to carry out this review and updating thereafter
• Notification to the OER Team when any significant changes or additions have been made to the book after publication
• Dissemination of outcomes of this project at a local, state, or national conference or professional development event
• Completion of a faculty survey and assistance in administering a student survey
• Participation in the collection of de-identified student impact data

If you have any questions about these expectations, please contact Linda Miles, OER Librarian

For projects to be piloted in the classroom in Fall 2025

• Required kickoff/training for awardees - January 21, 2025
• Draft of 1st 2 chapters due - February 14, 2025
• Initial Review Meetings with OER Team - February 14 - March 14, 2025
• Progress report due - May 30, 2025
• Project fully mounted in the Pressbooks platform and ready for review - August 1, 2025 (with some flexibility)
• Final report and program evaluation survey - December 12, 2025

For projects to be piloted in the classroom in Spring 2026

• Required kickoff/training for awardees - January 21, 2025
• Draft of 1st 2 chapters due - July 1, 2025
• Initial Review Meetings with OER Team - July 1 - August 1, 2025
• Progress report due - September 30, 2025
• Project fully mounted in the Pressbooks platform and ready for review - November 26, 2025 (with some flexibility)
• Final report and program evaluation survey - May 1, 2026

Main Takeaways from the January 21 Training (review)

Takeaway #1: Limits on content

• Everything: text, images, media, etc.
  • Either created by you
  • Or openly licensed (w/ adaptation allowed)
    • –no CC “ND” (no derivative) licenses
  • Exceptions are very rare and must be approved--contact Linda Miles right away to set up a consultation!

Takeaway #2: Citation requirements

• Everything: text, images, media, etc.
  • All citations require a “licensing statement”
  • You will need to research/track licenses
  • Most citations require author/creator name
  • Titles are nice too

Takeaway #3: Use the media library

• Import using the media library
• Instead of simply pasting images, etc.

Takeaway #4: Use the YouTube “embed” feature

• Don’t download from YouTube
• Embedding complies with the YouTube license

Helpful Links

Places to find openly licensed images

Understanding Creative Commons licenses

For more help with open licensing & citation reach out to Linda Miles, OER Librarian

MSU Libraries' OER Accessibility Checklist

Heading Levels Must Be Used and Ordered Correctly

• The title of your webpage (chapter) will be Heading 1
• Heading 2s are subheadings for Heading 1
• Heading 3s are subheadings for Heading 2s and so on (very few authors need to use more than three levels of headings)
• NEVER skip a level! For example, do not use Heading 3 as your top heading in a chapter.
• Don't choose a heading because you like the way it looks--this will confuse students using screen readers for accessibility. We can use other tools to make the font look the way you want it! (For example, if you're tempted to use a Heading 3 because you don't like how large the Heading 2 font is, we can adjust all of the font sizes to be smaller as long as it's still readable.)

In fact, we can make any font (heading or text) look the way you want it to -- just reach out for a consult! This includes font type, color, size, etc.

CSS for Accessibility

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for your book determines how the page appears (W3C CSS Introduction).

If you are not happy with the appearance of your book, please contact us before engaging in any labor-intensive formatting (e.g. changing the color or font size of headings one by one).

With a little work on our end, we can create CSS that will apply formatting to the entire book which guarantees consistency and saves time.

Image Accessibility

• Alt Text -- if the content or organization of an image is educationally important--briefly describe the key information for students with visual deficits. Best practices: WebAIM Guide to Alt Text. If the image is decorative leave the alt text blank.
• Avoid images of text if possible, or reduce the amount of text in the image. You should never make an image that is entirely text. If you find an image of text - for example, a table that is openly licensed - we will work with you to make sure that we can create a text table that gives credit to the original source rather than use the image. If you are creating complex images like medical diagrams, learn about best practices for complex images and ask us for assistance. You'll need to provide the actual description, but we can help format it correctly.
• If you are creating images with color ask for a consult so that we can help you make sure the color contrast is accessible.
• Provide a high-quality image for students who may need to zoom in.

Audiovisual Elements

Audiovisual elements almost always need closed captioning and/or transcripts. For an explanation of the various types of captions and transcripts, please refer to W3C's guide.

Quick tips:

• When creating your own audiovisual content, we highly recommend working from a script. This will make creating closed captions and interactive transcripts much easier.
• Kaltura Mediaspace is where we recommend MSU affiliates host their videos. If you are the primary author of a book but not an MSU affiliate, please reach out to the OER team.
• If you are creating your own video content in Kaltura Mediaspace, interactive transcripts AND captions are available to you.
• For captioning your videos (or creating them from scratch), we have found Camtasia to be quite user-friendly (Kaltura technically allows you to caption, but can be more frustrating to time correctly than Camtasia). Camtasia is free for MSU affiliates.
  • Camtasia captioning tutorial
  • Camtasia download for MSU affiliates (Techsmith is the company, or simply search "Camtasia" in the search bar. Be sure to select the Windows or Mac platform as appropriate.)
• If you are using outside content, such as embedded YouTube videos, that provide information not replicated in your book that lack accurate closed captions, you will need to provide a transcript or an equivalent.

Language Learning Specifics

We do not require English subtitles for audiovisual content in another language, but when the content shared does not have a written equivalent, there should be closed captions in the language used or a transcript.

For example: If you embed a language tutorial from YouTube which only has auto-generated captions that are not fully accurate, you should plan on posting an accurate transcript either on the page (potentially hidden with a drop-down feature) or in an appendix.

You can have dual language captions (e.g. if you explain a concept in English, and then switch to the target language to demonstrate, the captions should be made in whatever language is being spoken at that time). Camtasia has been proven to support this feature, even for languages that do not use the Roman alphabet.

For audio recordings that are used to test auditory understanding, please keep in mind that Deafness exists on a spectrum, and hard of hearing learners may use your book at another institution or even as a self-teaching resource. We absolutely support not posting the transcript right below the audio recording to reduce the temptation for hearing students to avoid the listening exercises as you intend them to be experienced, but encourage you to post the transcripts either in an appendix in the back of the book that we can link to or in a drop-down menu.

To reiterate, a translation of the target language into English is never required.

H5P Accessibility

H5P is a great resource to use when you are creating exercises, quizzes, and more.

That said, not all H5P is accessible and/or supported by the H5P team.

Please refer to the Content Type Recommendations to choose the best H5P content types for accessibility and ongoing support.

For example, Fill in the Blanks is both considered "accessible" and is supported by the "core team" at H5P, whereas Complex Fill in the Blanks is not currently supported by the core team. Given that, I would use Complex Fill in the Blanks with caution, and use another content type if possible.

When developing H5P, please consider the perspective of learners with a variety of disabilities. E.g., if you are asking questions about an image, does the image have alt text that would allow a student with a visual disability to answer those questions? (The alt text does not have to be in English if you are teaching another language.)

Maintaining Accessibility Through Revisions

One of OER’s strengths is that it can be easily revised. Help us keep your book accessible by letting me know if you have any changes, especially to the following:

    non-English language
    Formatting and appearance, such as font color
    Audiovisual and H5P content, particularly for language textbooks

If you see a change you don't like, ask!

Before reverting to a previous revision, please let us know what revisions we made that concern you.

There are many options to fulfill accessibility requirements, and we can find the best option for you!

Readability & Consistency

When information is structured in a consistent and predictable way, it is easier for readers to navigate and comprehend accurately—in line with your intention. "Styles" provide this structure by creating a framework of rules and guidelines for how information is presented and organized within the work. There are many different styles and many subject areas have their own. This guide is primarily based on The Chicago Manual of Style (7), combined with experience developing OER for undergraduate courses. CMS was chosen for its coverage of many subject areas and content types, as well as its consideration for exceptions and variation in writing.

It is important to keep in mind that not all traditional conventions for style or grammar may suit your particular OER project. It may help to keep record of how you use formatting and punctuation to ensure you make consistent choices throughout your project, especially when you deviate from the existing conventions of your chosen style.

• Style focuses on reducing ambiguity, not just grammatical correctness.
• Once you make a style choice, be consistent.
• Don’t rely solely on spell checkers and Grammarly. Reread your content.
• Bold is a good option for key terms or emphasis. The Glossary function in Pressbooks can be used to build a navigable glossary of key terms.
• Focus on clear, simple sentences. Sentences should be complete thoughts, though it can take multiple thoughts/sentences to communicate complete ideas.
• Use the serial (Oxford) comma when ending a list with "and".
• Use one space between words and sentences.
• Don't use underscores to create "blank" fields for activities, especially because they cannot function or be filled in by the learner. Consider using tools like H5P to create interactive content or create and link worksheets that can be downloaded/printed and utilized by the learner.
• Punctuation is typically joined to a word on one or both sides. However, spaces can be used between punctuation and diacritic marks for distinction.
• Use an indent at the beginning of paragraphs or a horizontal space between paragraphs.
• Write in clear, concise statements. Avoid using an overly conversational tone. The way that you speak and the way you write should be different. Remember that readers will not be able to discern your inflections, tone of voice, or facial expressions for clarification. If your sentence can be interpreted in many different ways, rewrite it.
• Utilize existing style conventions for your subject area. It might help you decide how to best represent or communicate some piece of information, but it will also familiarize students to the way information is presented in their field.
  (e.g., Chicago, AP, ACS, APA, AMA, etc.)

Figures

• Place images near the concepts they illustrate.
• Label diagrams and images using a consistent system for easy reference.

Numerals

• Use numerals for numbers 10 and larger, spelling out one through nine.
• Use numerals with quantifiers, such as million or billion.
  (e.g., 2 million)
• Use numerals for measurements, addresses, times, and dates.

Italics

• Italicizing fonts can create a barrier for readers with difficulty reading. We recommend avoiding italics whenever possible. Some instances require their use and are unavoidable, such as citations for certain styles.
• To emphasize a word, choose bolding or quotation marks instead.

Hyphens & Dashes

- Hyphen

• Hyphens are for connecting words that function as one word.
  (e.g., much-needed, high-profile, mass-produced, Spanish-speaking)
   

– En Dash (option ⌥ + hyphen) or (ctrl + hyphen)

• Use an en dash between ranges of numbers.
• Use for a negative (minus) symbol.
• Join names in titles with an en dash.
  (e.g., Myers–Briggs, Wisconsin–Madison)

— Em Dash (shift ⇧ + option ⌥ + hyphen) or (ctrl + alt + hyphen)

• Em dashes can be a better choice than a comma for sudden insertions or breaks in a sentence.
• Denotes interruptions when placed at the end of a sentence.
• Use before attribution at the end of a quote block.

Quotation Marks "x"

• Always use quotation marks in pairs.
• Use quotation marks to indicate exact quotes of people or works.
• Quotation marks can denote when a term is being used ironically.
• Use quotation marks around terms referred to as they appear elsewhere.
  (e.g., Click on “File” and then “Open...” to open a document.)
• Be careful not to use apostrophes as "single" quotation marks unless it is a nested set of quotation marks inside another.
  (e.g., "Yeah, I'd 'love' to go," replied Mark sarcastically.)

Lists

• Use the “Bulleted list” and “Numbered list” options in the PressBooks editor to
  create lists.
• Use bulleted list formatting to emphasize a sequence outside of a sentence.
• Use numbered list formatting for any sequence or list where order or quantity is important.

Title Case

• Use title case in headings and for titles of chapters and sections, especially when punctuation is not present.
  (e.g., An Introduction to Plants and Fungi)
• Title case is not necessary when the heading or title is a question or sentence with punctuation at the end.

Parentheses (x), Brackets [x], & Braces {x}

• Parentheses are for including additional material that has no grammatical relationship to the surrounding text.
• When new acronyms are introduced for the first time, spell them out completely in parentheses.
  (e.g., MSU (Michigan State University) is a land-grant university.)
• Use parentheses for the translation of a preceding term or phrase.
• Use square brackets for the phonetic spelling of a preceding term or phrase.
• Use square brackets to add your own commentary or additional content to work by another author.
• Use square brackets inside parentheses rather than a second set of parentheses.
• Braces are not interchangeable with parentheses or brackets.

OER Cover Design Process

• Consider your vision for how your book cover will represent your book.
• Choose 1 - 10 images from an openly licensed images repository and send the links to the images and any design concepts or ideas to Julie Taylor (taylorjk@msu.edu)
• Send Julie the full title, subtitle, and contributor names as they should appear on the cover.
• Send Julie a brief (1 paragraph) description of your book to use on the back cover.
• Julie will provide several draft cover designs to choose from or modify.

Print-on-Demand Available

• The final OER textbook will be exported in multiple formats including a printable PDF
• This PDF can be printed in color or black & white as a paperback book through Publishing Services.
• Print-on-demand cost estimates are available on the Publishing Services website.

Web vs Print

• Tables with many columns or wide columns may fit on a monitor but may not fit on a printed page.
• Export and review your book as a PDF to see how it will appear when printed.
• Page size, margins, and font size can be changed in the appearance menu > theme options > PDF options.

#1: Styling

• We can help you explore book templates
• Explore and make use of PB’s textbox formats

#2: Worksheets

• Pdf worksheets are fine
• Make the name of the worksheet a clickable link (e.g.: Shakespeare’s Comedies)
• Include a citation with author name (this may be you) and licensing statement

#3: Foreign languages

• If your book includes foreign languages, particularly non-Latin script, we will work with you to add coding to make this appear correctly

#4: Math & science

• If your book includes mathematical or scientific formulas, we can help you display those correctly

#5: Peer review

• Single-blind peer-review process
• We ask you for reviewer recommendations
• We may also invite reviews from other experts
• Just FYI, these are the questions we ask reviewers

#6: Payment

• The stipend will be released at the end of the publishing process (note that the review process typically extends into the pilot semester)
• The stipend is paid out within the payroll system to MSU affiliates, and deductions for income tax apply

If you have any questions reach out to Linda Miles, OER Librarian