Appendix A – About Open Textbooks
What are open textbooks?
Open textbooks are a type of Open Educational Resource (OER)—freely available, openly licensed learning materials that anyone can use, adapt, and share.
In the context of OER, open textbooks:
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Are designed to support equitable access to education by removing cost barriers for students
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Typically published under Creative Commons (CC) licences, allowing academic staff to reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute content
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Support pedagogical freedom, enabling educators to adapt content to fit local contexts, student needs, and curriculum goals
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Include supplementary materials such as quizzes, slide decks, question banks, and multimedia (e.g., H5P), which enhance the learning experience.
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Are aligned with the principles of open education, including transparency, collaboration, accessibility, and academic rigour
Use these resources to deepen your understanding of open textbooks.
Why you should use open textbooks
Education extends far beyond the pages of a textbook. The quality of instruction, the broader post-secondary experience, and the overall learning environment all play crucial roles in shaping student success. Universities do not compete on the content of their textbooks or course materials—instead, they stand out by offering unique, high-quality, and meaningful educational experiences.
Open textbooks support this distinction by enabling the adaptation and personalisation of content to suit specific learning contexts and student needs. This flexibility allows institutions to deliver a truly tailored and impactful educational experience.
At Western Sydney University, open textbooks play a key role in our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and inclusive education, and are championed through the Western Open Books initiative. Creating and using open textbooks in alignment with the University’s values enhances our students’ learning experience while contributing to global educational equity. By making these resources freely available, you not only reduce barriers to education but also strengthen Western Sydney University’s reputation as a socially responsible and globally engaged institution.
Open textbooks also contribute to open scholarship—a growing international movement that seeks to make research, teaching, and learning more accessible, inclusive, and collaborative. By publishing through Western Open Books, you are actively participating in this movement and expanding access to knowledge within and beyond the University.
Open textbooks empower educators and students by offering:
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Affordability: Significant cost savings for students
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Flexibility: Content can be tailored to specific learning needs
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Access: Available to all, anytime and anywhere
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Equity: Ensures every learner has access from day one
Video: Why use open textbooks? Benefits for students from BCcampus on Vimeo.
What makes open textbooks different from traditional textbooks?
Traditional textbooks are typically published under restrictive copyright, meaning they cannot be freely shared, reused, or adapted. They are often expensive—sometimes costing hundreds of dollars—and new editions are released frequently, which can quickly render older versions obsolete. Even digital editions or e-textbooks from commercial publishers, while sometimes more affordable, are usually protected by digital rights management (DRM) software. This means students often lose access after a short period (typically four to six months) and cannot retain the book for future reference or resell it.
In contrast, open textbooks are published under open licences that permit unrestricted use, adaptation, and redistribution. Academic staff can tailor open textbooks to better align with their course content, using only the chapters or sections relevant to their teaching. This flexibility enhances the learning experience by making materials more pedagogically appropriate for specific contexts.
When an open textbook is adopted as assigned reading, students can access the digital edition for free—either online or by downloading it to their device. Where available, they can also purchase a low-cost print version through print-on-demand services, ensuring affordability without sacrificing accessibility or ownership.
Licensing and reuse
Most open textbooks use Creative Commons (CC) licences, which define how the material can be used:
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Permissive use: Some CC licences allow complete modification and commercial use, enabling broad adaptation and redistribution.
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Restricted use: Other licences may limit use to non-commercial purposes or require attribution and sharing under the same licence (e.g. CC BY-NC-SA).
Understanding these licences is key to responsibly using and creating open content.
Where to find open textbooks and OER resources
As the author of an open textbook, there are many open repositories and platforms where you can find existing open textbooks and OER to adapt or draw inspiration from:
Use the Open Educational Resources (OER) libguide to search for an open textbook or OER by school or by type.
Your School Librarian can also help you locate subject-specific open educational resources (OER) and ensure they align with licensing best practices.
