Funded Projects

The authors are developing a new open textbook on introductory physics for use in first-year physics courses offered at the University of Regina. The textbook will include a specific focus on the creation of Canadian content, with a special emphasis on Canadian cultures, such as Indigenous Peoples’ traditions.

Dr. Fletcher is creating a new open textbook on research methodology and qualitative methods for second-year social science courses offered at the University of Regina. Clearly written with applied examples and practice activities throughout, this textbook will provide an easy-to-follow introduction to qualitative research methods for undergraduate students, as well as graduate students who are new to qualitative methods. The textbook is aimed at students in multiple social-science disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, psychology, gender studies, education and nursing.

This project is currently underway to provide students in the bilingual nursing program with access to the open textbook in French. It is expected that other Canadian French language nursing programs may adopt this text for their programs.

Dr. Dale is developing a Virtual Tour and Tutorials to accompany the currently used open access material to enhance teaching and learning in related Geoscience undergraduate classes offered by the Faculty of Science. The Virtual Tour and Tutorials will feature short videos geoscience field research methods including site selection criteria, measurements, sampling and archiving of soils and sediments. These videos will demonstrate proper methods of study in the geoscience field and will enhance student field study experience and supplement required field experience if COVID protocol cancels the field work needed for the course. The videos and tutorials will provide the student an opportunity to conduct field studies vicariously. Several sites have been selected for filming in order to show students the wide variations in soil types and soil properties, Luvisolic soils (Gray wooded and gray near Kamsack), Black Chernozems near Yorkton and Melville, Dark Brown Chernozemic near Balgonie, Solonetzic and Brown Chernozems near Weyburn, Vertisolic soils in Regina and Regosolic soils in the Qu’Appelle and Assiniboine River Valleys.

Dr. Joyce McBeth and J. Armand are developing a Geology Laboratory Manual to accompany the currently used open-access material in this class. This supplementary resource will enhance teaching and learning in the Geology 201 undergraduate class offered by the Faculty of Science

Dr. John Barden is developing a new open textbookk from an existing set of open-access resources. The resource will be used by undergraduate students in a core Biomechanics course within the Human Kinetics major in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies. The open textbook will have the following content and aims:

• Provide students with a background in the Physics and Mathematics required in the program
• Provide additional background in anatomy/physiology required in the program
• Provide a highly interactive resource that will make considerable use of digital media

Dr. Arzu Sardarli and Dr. Andrei Volodin are developing an open textbook in Statistics for undergraduate students. This textbooks will be used by students in at least three Introductory Statistics courses at the University of Regina and federated colleges. The open textbook developed will have the following content and aims:

• Provide examples specific to Canadian context
• Provide examples with Indigenous content helpful for Indigenous students

Dr. Shannon Holmes and Dr. Melissa Morgan are developing a new open textbook from an existing set of open-access resources. The resource will be used by students in voice classes (offered in both the Music and Theatre Departments) to better work independently on their vocal skills away from the studio/classroom setting. This resource will provide instruction and practical exercises that keep a consistent standard regardless of who is teaching the class. This resource also allows students to access new skills when needed while reinforcing the concepts introduced in class. Additionally, this resource serves as a vital teaching tool in situations where the student is not able to be physically in class.

Dr. Bill Bonner is developing a single text from three different existing open textbooks. The resulting text will also be supplemented with additional material. Ultimately, the goal is to provide students with a single open textbook for their Business course. Future enhancements to the textbook include addition of audio and video for increased engagement.

Dr. Jacqui Gagnon is developing a new open textbook that will be the primary textbook for Introduction to Financial Accounting. The main purpose of this textbook is to create a highly readable and engaging instructional tool that provides students with a solid accounting foundation. The proposed textbook scaffolds concepts by providing opportunities to engage the material in an interactive workbook-style resource. The resource is to be written in extremely accessible, conversational language. Students often find new accounting terminology and concepts overwhelming, a feeling this is compounded by the academic writing style of traditional textbooks. Students who speak English as an additional language are further disadvantaged. The high readability complements scaffolding in small increments to reduce overwhelm and demystify financial accounting concepts and practice. Lastly, the resource produced will be disability-accessible, equipped to adapt to those with both physical and cognitive disability.

Dr. Lindsey French is developing a Pressbook in Sound Studies and Sound Art to accompany the currently used open access material to enhance teaching and learning in related classes offered by the Faculty of Media Art and Performance (MAP). The goals of this project are:

• To compile contemporary practical guides for engaging listening practices with a focus on decolonial and feminist practices in Sound Studies and Sound Art, from a variety of contributors.
• To contextualize these guides with best practices for their use in the classroom, and to make them available and accessible to educators, students and practitioners.
• To become familiar with the Pressbooks format for this pilot project, to create a manageable resource that can be revised and built upon in future iterations.

Dr. Robert Petry is developing a Calculus II coursebook for Calculus courses at Campion and Luther Colleges. The goal of the project is to bring this coursebook to the standard of an existing Calculus I course book so that it could be more widely used across sections of Math 111. Being able to stand on its own, as an independent resource, the Calculus II coursebook would be a better teaching tool for students both in sections that adopt it but also those that do not, in the same way the Calculus I book is currently used. It would also bring a level of consistency across the introductory Calculus stream.