Course Awards
2017
Michel has replaced the former $65 textbook in all his sections of HIS 1053 with U.S. History from OpenStax. OpenStax, a nonprofit affiliated with Rice University, works directly with faculty subject matter experts and funders like the Hewlett Foundation to create peer-reviewed, openly licensed textbooks that are free for students.
More from Michel:
“I have been motivated by the positive experience my colleague, Jodi Peterson, has had with OER materials in her sections of the U.S. history survey. I have also been equally motivated by a desire to utilize a product that, without compromising scholarly quality, will appeal to students both in content, format, and price.
Like many instructors, I am sensitive to how the rising cost of textbooks affects our students, many of whom struggle to make ends meet. I'm also concerned that students simply do not read the assigned texts in classes, regardless of the cost issue. Many textbooks are impersonal, dry, and uninviting. The OpenStax book offers a more attractive and user-friendly book for U.S. History that I think students will find more appealing. Of course, it will be up to me, as the instructor, to devise assessments that encourage⎼indeed, require⎼students to utilize the text. But it certainly will help matters if the books is more appealing to students.”