Libraries & Academic Innovation launched the Adapting Course Materials for Equity Grant in 2022 in order to encourage the adoption and creation of open and affordable educational resources in courses at GW. This program has funded projects from a range of disciplines that has reduced the cost of course materials and positively impacted student learning and engagement.
2026 Grant Recipients
Jennifer Bertolet
Professorial Lecturer
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Introduction to American History Since 1877
Betsy Choma
Associate Professor, PNP
School of Nursing
Pediatric Adversity and Early Childhood Development and Health
Ashley Darcy-Mahoney
Professor & Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
School of Nursing
Pediatric Adversity and Early Childhood Development and Health
Melanie-Joy H Dorn
Assistant Professor
Columbian College of Arts and Science
Neurosubstrates in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
Sylvia Jones
Professor
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Introduction to Creative Writing
Michael Tadesse
Teaching Assistant Professor of Marketing
School of Business
AI Application in Marketing
2026 Selection Committee
Daphna Atias, Educational Developer, LAI
Taylor Baugher, Research Services Librarian for Undergraduate Research, LAI
Katie Black, Instructional Designer, LAI
Shira Eller, Art and Design Librarian, LAI
Valerie Fliss, Course Reserves & Resource Sharing Specialist, LAI
LJ Johnson, Research Services Librarian for Business and Data, LAI
Rory Hooper, Senior (History), GW and Peer Navigator, LAI
Kelsey Thias, Library Supervisor, LAI
John Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Masters of Professional Studies in Publishing
2025 Grant Recipients
Student- and Community-Informed Open Education Resource Textbook on Autism
Madison Brumbaugh, M.S., CCC-SLP
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Project Description
ACME Grant funding supported the planning, recruitment, and initial design of an OER textbook with publication anticipated via Manifold upon final project completion (est. Fall of 2026). Recruitment for authors and contributors were targeted toward members of the Autism community, particularly self-advocates interested in sharing their lived experiences via anecdotes for select sections of the text. Recruitment of former and current students for voluntary review of the OER textbook was intended to foster student input on chapters that will be assigned as reading for the upper-level undergraduate course, PSYC/SLHS 3133 (Autism).
This resource represents the first open-source, open-access, textbook created with Autistic collaborators and student collaborators, embedding multimedia within the structure of the text to maximize integration of research, news, and other Autism media.
In addition, ACME Grant funding supported the licensing of the former course textbook which allowed students in the Fall 2025 graduate-level course, SLHS 6284 (Autism), and the Spring 2026 undergraduate-level course, PSYC/SLHS 3133 (Autism), free access to the text.
Project Impact
Licensing of the traditional course text book provided free, online access for GW students enrolled in the course. This meant that 28 students enrolled in SLHS 6284 during the Fall 2025 semester, 50 students enrolled in PSYC/SLHS 3133 during the Fall 2025 semester, and 50 students enrolled in PSYC/SLHS 3133 during the Spring of 2026 did not need to purchase the textbook, saving students nearly $7,000 collectively (based on the listed paperback price of $52.99).
During the recruitment phase of the project, collaborators from over 5 institutions committed to participating as co-authors, editors, or contributors, including Autism researchers, Autism advocates, and prospective student-consumers of the resource.
Open Access, Practice-Centered Learning in HSCI 2110: Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Patrick Corr, EdD, MEd, AFAMEE
Assistant Professor & Program Director of Integrative Medicine
GW SMHS Department of Clinical Research and Leadership
Project Description
HSCI 2110 is a popular undergraduate elective offered through the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The ACME grant supported a course redesign that replaced a previously used commercial textbook with open access education resources and faculty-designed instructional material. The redesign centered on applied, practical learning through curated case examples and original course content developed by the course instructor. Additionally, the class now incorporates brief guest lectures from public health experts working across diverse practice settings (e.g., community-based NGOs, academic research centers, state and federal governments). These expert lectures are embedded into weekly synchronous content and allow students the opportunity to learn from, and network with, public health practitioners across broad contexts. Taken together, this new course material offers students insight into “real-world” application of course topics and ensures a more equitable, affordable, and accessible course environment.
Project Impact
The impact of this project saved each student at least $145.95 due to the adoption of open access course material. On balance, this change is saving a total of approximately $8,700 during the 2025-26 academic year.
The inclusion of formal, regular guest lecturers also advances the course content from a theoretical consideration of health promotion toward real-world, practical health promotion strategies. The inclusion of diverse voices from across public health practice provides a deeper, practical understanding of health disparities, cultural responsivity, and evidence-based approaches to designing health interventions.
Project Artifacts
Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Concepts Spring 2026 Syllabus
Equity in Course Design: Using Open Access Materials in Philosophy and Nonviolence
Megan Davis
Assistant Professorial Lecturer
Department of Philosophy
Project Description
This project advanced equity and accessibility by redesigning course materials to eliminate the need for students to purchase textbooks. All required readings and resources were provided through a combination of Open Educational Resources (OER), electronic books, and materials available via Gelman Library’s digital collections.
In addition to curating these resources, I developed module summaries (including executive summaries of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Human Rights Treaties and the United Nations Structure, and foundational philosophers) with embedded knowledge checks to support student comprehension and engagement. This approach ensured that every student had immediate, cost-free access to high-quality academic content, reducing financial barriers and promoting inclusive learning.
Beyond affordability, integrating OER and library resources enhanced pedagogical flexibility, enabling the inclusion of diverse perspectives and adaptable materials aligned with course objectives. The project demonstrates how leveraging institutional resources and open content can create sustainable, equitable learning environments while improving student success.
Project Impact
By replacing a required textbook with OER and library resources, the project saved approximately $80 per student, resulting in a total savings of about $4,160 for 52 students.
Project Artifacts
Philosophy of Human Rights Fall 2025 Syllabus
Using Open Education Resources to Explore Neural Circuits and Behavior
Damien O’Halloran
Associate Professor,
Department of Biological Sciences CCAS
Project Description
Through funding from the GW Libraries & Academic Innovation Adapting Course Materials for Equity Grant, when I taught my course entitled Neural Circuits and Behavior in Fall 2025, I was able to replace the traditional commercial textbook I had been using with a free online open textbook titled Foundations of Neuroscience and hosted by Michigan State University’s Open Books platform. That change had an immediate financial impact for students; instead of requiring an expensive purchased text, every student had day-one access to required readings at no cost and with no paywall. Because Foundations of Neuroscience is published under a Creative Commons license, I could also curate and assign only the sections that best matched our course learning goals, while still providing a high-quality, accessible foundation for our discussions of circuits and behavior.
Project Impact
- Replacing the commercial text priced at $255.50 (paperback) with the free MSU open textbook avoided up to $255.50 per student in required materials. For my class of 60 students, that’s $255.50 × 60 = $15,330.00 in total avoided textbook costs.
- Day-one, universal access: Every student had access to the required reading from the first day of class (no shipping delays, out-of-stock issues, or waiting for financial aid refunds), because Foundations of Neuroscience is available online with free download options.
- Greater teaching flexibility and better alignment to learning goals: The open text’s Creative Commons licensing supports legally assigning, excerpting, and sequencing content to match my syllabus rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all chapter order. I found this flexibility very helpful in effectively delivering the content.
Project Artifacts
Integration of Patient-Centered Online Resources into a Human Genetics Course
Lisa Schwartz, EdD, MS, CGC
Professor
Biomedical Laboratory Sciences
Project Description
MLS 4171: Human Genetics is an elective offered to students enrolled in the BSHS and post-baccalaureate certificate programs within the Biomedical Laboratory Sciences department. While most students are preparing to become laboratory scientists who may not have direct patient-interaction, I felt it was important for students to recognize the direct, often life-altering, impact that laboratory testing, particularly for genetic and inherited diseases, have on patients and their families.
Project Impact
- With the ACME grant funds, I was able to provide a stipend to a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master’s in Genetic Counseling Program who searched for online, open-source resources, including websites, articles, blogs, interactive learning activities, and videos that could be integrated into the course.
- We created a spreadsheet of resources with titles and URLs that could be continually updated.
- Aligned with each week of this 8-week, online, asynchronous course, we integrated the identified resources with the intention of enhancing student learning and further supporting their appreciation of the direct impact of genetic testing on patients and their families.
Project Artifacts
Human Genetics Fall 2025 Resource List
Understanding Chaos: A New Textbook for Students of Intelligence Analysis
Adam Wunische
Adjunct Instructor
Elliott School of International Affairs
Project Description
As the global order becomes increasingly fragmented, violent, and flooded with unmanageable volumes of information, it will become increasingly difficult for intelligence analysts to identify truth from fiction. The current intelligence analysis methods books and resources are either prohibitively costly, or woefully outdated. Students of international and security studies need a new textbook on intelligence analysis methods, one that is both free for all and based on 21st century scientific progress. Understanding Chaos gives students an open-source and high-quality textbook that explores the tools, techniques, and mentality needed to make sense of an increasingly senseless world.
Project Impact
Classes that Adopt this textbook will save their students over $7,000 in book costs per year. The average low-end cost of an intelligence analysis methods textbook is about $60, with the high-end reaching $120, or more, for a book on structured analytic techniques, these are methods the intelligence community essentially claims as their own intellectual property. Assigning one of these books as required reading for my 20-student courses would therefore collectively cost $1,200 to $2,400 per class, up to $7,000 every year on book costs.
Project Artifacts
Understanding Chaos: New Methods of Intelligence Analysis (First Edition)
Deborah Boucoyannis
Professorial Lecturer, Department of of Political Science
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Course: Introduction to Comparative Politics
Project to be implemented in Fall 2026
Sarah-Kay Hurst, Ph.D.
Teaching Associate Professor of French
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Course: Intermediate French II
Project to be implemented in Fall 2026
2025 Selection Committee
Aaron Weiner, Sophomore - Economic/Political Science, Peer Tutor, Academic Commons
Bo Yang, Instructional Designer, GWLAI
Daphna Atias, Educational Developer, GWLAI
John Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Masters of Professional Studies in Publishing
Kelsey Thias, Library Supervisor, GWLAI
LJ Johnson, Library Associate , Research and User Services, GWLAI
Taylor Baugher, Research Services Librarian for Undergraduate Research, GWLAI
- Valerie Fliss, Course Reserves & Resource Sharing Specialist, GWLAI
2025 Grant Coordinators
Jon Damrau, Head of Access Services, GWLAI
Sheila Dougherty, Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
Misty Trunnell, Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
2024 Grant Recipients
AI-enhanced Open Education Resource Textbook on Critical Theory and Screening Shakespeare
Alexa Alice Joubin, Ph.D., Professor of English, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
David Ettinger, International Affairs & Political Science Librarian, LAI
Misty Trunnell, Research & User Services Librarian, LAI
Project Description
Continued ACME Grant funding supported the design of two transformative and revolutionary digital humanities OER for higher education. Open Access textbooks, Screening Shakespeare and the newly developed Introduction to Critical Theory both have an AI teaching assistant. These resources are the world's first open-source, open-access, trustworthy AI for humanities higher education designed by Dr. Joubin. The AI chatbots are trained on Dr. Joubin’s knowledge base and adapt its answers to students’ levels of learning, based on the ways in which they frame their question. A new quiz feature was also embedded in chapters offering instant feedback. Both resources include multimedia content and multimodal access for accessibility beyond GW learning management systems.
Project Impact
- The open access textbook Screening Shakespeare replaced use of multiple commercial textbooks required for ENG 2800W since its first use in fall 2022. The project has saved GW students $42,465.60 over the course of three academic years.
- Intro to Critical Theory saved students in ENG 6130 $6,635.25 in the first semester of use.
- Faculty at other universities such as University of Maryland and University of Mary Washington adopted these resources for fall 2024.
- Student assessments of the OER were positive. Students noted:
- “Professor Joubin's self-hosted AI on the online course textbook allowed me to for the first time explore how AI could be beneficial to the humanities, in contrast to the often negative perspective taken during class discussion.”
- “Course readings were interesting and relevant to the work. Discussion board posts were an excellent idea to jumpstart class discussion. The course online textbook and chat bot were helpful and well laid out with information presented clearly.”
Project Resources
Using Open Education Resources in a Pediatric Adversity Course
Ashley Darcy-Mahoney, Ph.D, Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
School of Nursing
Elizabeth Choma, D.P.N., Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
Tom Harrod, Research Support Librarian, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
Project Description
Pediatric Adversity and Early Childhood (NURS 6215) is a course offered in the School of Nursing. The project enabled students to complete all coursework and deliverables without purchasing any textbooks or additional resources. The course encourages nursing students to become agents of change for pediatric patients and their families. With the use of OER, this project demonstrated first hand, the importance of equity by making course materials accessible, and equipping all interested students with the tools to synthesize their voice as pediatric advocates.
Project Impact
- The impact of this project potentially saved each student a minimum of $300. With the adoption of open articles and no charge to best-selling books, GW students as an aggregate in this course saved $12,000 in the fall 2024 semester.
- We improved equitable access to course materials by using a combination of open access educational resources and zero-cost course materials. The utilization of these no cost resources makes NURS 6215 a more accessible course that helps to facilitate students’ success.
Project Resources
Pediatric Adversity: The Science of Early Childhood Development and Health
Adopt a free, open textbook for my finance course
Davide Sonzogni, Lecturer, Department of Finance
Shmuel Ben-Gad, Reference and Collection Development Librarian, LAI
Bo Yang, Instructional Designer, LAI
Project Description
Since 2021, I have created free online learning modules and material/resources (e.g., videos, interactive modules). To complement this content, I used a commercially available textbook. This Fall semester, I replaced it with a free textbook and integrated it with my free learning material.
Project Impact
The project impacted students positively by promoting equity and increasing the accessibility of the course material. The project offered benefits that can also be quantified in terms of savings. The required textbook that I replaced with the free one costs $59 (150-day rental) or $94 (ebook purchase). The printed edition's price ranges between $70 (rental) and $190+ (purchase). The enrollment for my course is 60 students per semester. By adopting a free, open textbook as part of this project, the class as whole saved a minimum of $3,500.
Furthermore, students expressed appreciation for these benefits in their end-of-semester feedback. Notable comments include: “The book explained the material in a very easy to understand way. It was extremely helpful and benefited me greatly”, “The fact that the textbook was free is excellent. The concepts covered in the textbook were excellent. Would suggest continuing to use this textbook for future classes.”, “A free textbook is huge in my opinion and the multiple formats and ease of navigation was a plus.”
Finally, the free textbook can have an impact on students even after the course is over as they will be able to retain it at no additional cost forever.
Project Resource
Equity in Course Design: The Use of Open Access Materials in HSCI 2050: Foundations of Health Equity
Maranda C. Ward, EdD, MPH; Assistant Professor and Director of Equity, Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Rebecca Kyser, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Himmelfarb Library
Project Description
HSCI 2050: Foundations of Health Equity is a public health elective offered to any undergraduate. While the majority of students who enroll are public health majors and minors, every semester there remains a handful of students from CCAS and SEAS. This course is offered every Fall and Spring to 18-25 students. This course serves as the one required course for students to declare the 9-credit Health Equity micro-minor.
Project Impact
By switching to 100% online open-access course materials, students save $1,338-$1,858 per semester. Course evaluations reveal that students appreciate not having to purchase a course text but instead having access to all required readings online in the Blackboard course. Redesigning the course with open-access material also models for students the very equity values that we discuss each week for how access impacts opportunities for health and wellness.
Project Resources
HSCI 2050: Foundations of Health Equity Syllabus
Design Futures Accessibility
Kevin Patton, Assistant Professor, CSAD Design
Debbie Bezanson, Senior Librarian for Science, Engineering & Assessment; LAI
Project Description
Design Futures is a course that explores and contextualizes recent technological advancements, such as Generative AI, Large Language Models, Neural Networks, big data, the internet of things, GPS, and computer vision, in order to better understand their potential for use in design. This class examines labor, information, technological development, and their social relation in the context of design practices. One of the challenges of the course is the ability of the students to navigate difficult and numerous historical, technical, and critical theory texts. Through the ACME grant project, required texts were made accessible online and a public site was created for students to engage with Generative Artificial Intelligence.
Project Impact
Per student total cost of required and recommended readings: $372.68
Project Resources
Creating Customized Open-Source Materials for Health Services Management and Economics (PubH 3130)
MaryBeth Musumeci, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
Project Description
I created an open source collection of readings tailored to the topics that I cover in PubH 3130, Health Services Management and Economics. Because there is no existing textbook that covers both the management and economics content, the new readings replace two textbooks as well as supplemental material that I had separately posted. My goals included making the materials more accessible to students, making the materials free to students, and including topics omitted by existing textbooks such as providing healthcare services to low-income and other underserved populations. To create my materials, I adapted parts of the open source management textbook that I previously used by including some sections with attribution and supplementing other topics with excerpts from other open source material or material owned by the GW libraries. I replaced the material from the health economics and financing textbook that students previously had to purchase with excerpts from open source textbooks and GW library resources. I also integrated and updated my previous supplemental readings and included some of my own original writing, exercises, and class discussion prompts. I organized the material into a single set of readings for each class session that tracks the order of topics on my syllabus.
Project Impact
This project is improving equitable access to course materials for a considerable number of GW students because PubH 3130 is a required course for undergraduate public health majors. I used the new readings for the first time in fall 2024 and updated versions in spring 2025, fall 2025, and spring 2026. Key findings from my student surveys to date include the following
The share of students rating the course readings as “excellent” or “good” in contributing to their learning nearly tripled (74% vs. 22-27%) after I replaced the previous textbooks with my new course materials.
Students overwhelmingly prefer my new course materials (95%) to traditional textbooks.
A substantial share of students (82%) reported that my new course materials made them more likely to do the assigned reading compared to traditional textbooks.
By adopting free open source materials through this project, I am saving GW students an estimated $12,740 annually (140 students per year * $91). I teach two sections of the course every fall and spring semester with enrollment capped at 70 students per semester (up to 140 students per year). The healthcare economics and financing textbook that I previously required costs $91.00 (for an e-book as of 2024)
Project Resources
Materials for Health Services Management and Economics
2024 Selection Committee
Thank you to the selection committee members for their hard work, dedication, and thoughtful consideration of all the grant applications.
Daphna Atias
Educational Developer, GWLAI
Shira Eller
Art & Design Librarian, GWLAI
Gia Kalyani
Student, Art History, Women’s Leadership Program
Valerie Fliss
Course Reserves & Resource Sharing Specialist, GWLAI
Ricky Graham
Instructional Designer, GWLAI
Patricia Greenstein
Library Coordinator, GWLAI
Kelsey Thias
Library Supervisor, GWLAI
John Warren
Director and Associate Professor, Masters of Professional Studies in Publishing
Bo Yang
Instructional Designer, GWLAI
2024 Grant Coordinators
For questions or more information about the Adapting Course Materials for Equity Faculty Grant, contact the grant coordinators.
Sheila Dougherty
Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
Misty Trunnell
Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
Jon Damrau
Head of Access Services, GWLAI
Maddy Kadish
Director, Instructional Design, GWLAI
2023 Grant Recipients
Customize a Handbook of Pre-Calculus Content for Math 1220 Using OER Materials Part II
Sharon E. Roosevelt, Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics
Project Description
Building on the success of the first ACME project, the second year grant helped support the creation of further chapters and practice problems targeted for the students enrolled in Math 1220: Calculus with Precalculus 1. In addition, a second goal arose with the creation of a new experimental workshop program for the Fall 2023 semester aimed at the lowest scoring students on a proctored placement test of calculus readiness. These workshops, officially called discussion sections, did not have a textbook and relied solely on resources and worksheets created by Professor Roosevelt, partially under the ACME grants.
Project Impact
- The resources were used for 2 lecture sections, saving over 200 students money during the semester. Additionally, during the Fall semester there were 11 discussion sections which targeted over 200 students enrolled in 5 lectures.
- Professor Roosevelt was able to use OERs and the ACME projects to successfully advocate for the Math department to fund the creation of the Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULA) program of supplemental discussion sections for Math 1220.
- Worksheets targeted at missing and weak pre-calculus skills that were completed under the direct guidance of Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs).
- The resources were responsible for a greater synergy between the calculus and pre-calculus portions of the course. Students' reliance on paid tutors continued to decrease.
- The resources were able to be shared among instructors.
Project Resources
- Pre-Calculus Review is the supplemental text compiled and edited under the ACME grant.
Project Partner
- Debbie Bezanson, Senior Librarian for Science, Engineering & Assessment, LAI
Enhancing Digital Course Content for Free and Equitable Access Through Blackboard
Douglas Crawford
Assistant Professor
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences (Interior Architecture, Corcoran)
Course: Introductory Digital Design Tools/Digital Drafting and Modeling
Project Description
Interior Architecture’s BFA and MFA degrees each have a required digital design methodologies course; CIAR 3250 Introductory Digital Design Tools (Fall semester) and Digital Drafting and Modeling 6250 (Spring semester), respectively. Both courses effectively cover the same topic; Building Information Modeling as a digital methodology for documenting existing conditions and proposed designs for Interior Architecture students. Prior to receiving the ACME grant, these courses recommend two commercial textbooks to aid students in learning the complex software platform that is Building Information Modeling. As an alternative to requiring traditional, and expensive, textbooks, this grant has promoted the sourcing of zero-cost course materials/resources for the enrolled students. The grant has also helped in establishing course materials that expose students to the imbalance of majority white human entourage that has historically dominated the digital catalogs of rendering entourage used within Building Information Models (i.e. human figures used for scale examples within digital renderings created by students in academia as well as professionals in the design industry).
Project Impact
- The typical enrollment for each course ranges from 10 to 20 students per semester. By adopting zero-cost course materials as part of this project, students at GW saved between $2,860 and $5,720 annually.
- 92.9% of the students stated that they preferred the digital open access course content to a traditional textbook that they would purchase.
- The project brought light to lesser-known racial inequality that has been pervasive in the interior design and architectural visualization industry for decades. Students now have free access to resources to help them not fall victim to the status quo of the default human scale figures that can be seen in the design software platforms.
Project Resources
Project Partner
Shira Eller, Art & Design Librarian, GWLAI
An Open-Source Coursepack for Fundamentals of Lawyering
Erika Pont
Associate Professor and Associate Director, Fundamentals of Lawyering
GW Law School
Course: Fundamentals of Lawyering II
Iselin Gambert
Professor and Director, Fundamentals of Lawyering
GW Law School
Course: Fundamentals of Lawyering II
Project Description
This course is a yearlong first-year law school course that focuses on a wide range of lawyering skills, from writing, research, and analysis to active listening, self-reflection, client counseling, public speaking, and more. The course is anchored by three required textbooks that focus on the traditional writing, research, and analysis skills. This project aims to add a range of open source materials—readings, videos, podcasts, and more—that will focus on those additional lawyering skills not covered in the required textbooks.The goal is not only to ease the cost-burden on students (avoiding the need to have them buy yet another textbook),, but also to allow for greater flexibility in the course topics.
Project Impact
Will be implemented in Fall 2024.
Project Partners
Ken Rodriguez, Reference/Intellectual Property Librarian, GW Law School, Burns Library
Andrew Winston, Assistant Director for Public Services, GW Law School, Burns Library
Teaching Introduction to American History with an OER Textbook
Jennifer Bertolet
Professorial Lecturer
Columbian College of Art & Sciences (History)
Course: Introduction to American History to 1877
Project Description
The project replaced a traditional history textbook with an Open Educational Resources (OER) textbook, The American Yawp, volume I, in an introductory course on American history to 1877. It expanded and complemented an earlier effort to transition supplemental course materials to books and articles available through George Washington University Libraries. This initiative eliminated all student expenses for purchased or rented resources in the course.
Project Impact
- Eliminating the traditional textbook saved each student in the course $60, for a total of $3600 annually across two sections.
- The OER textbook had a printed version available for a nominal fee of $25. None of the students who responded to the end-of-course survey purchased the printed version. All respondents used the OER no-cost online version.
- No survey respondents experienced technological issues when using the textbook.
- Surveyed students strongly recommended (90%) using the OER textbook in similar courses, stating that the book was “highly informative,” “organized,” “descriptive,” and “easy to navigate.” The small percentage of students (10%) who would not recommend using the OER textbook did not provide an explanation of their perspective.
- Of the survey respondents, 89% indicated that the availability of a free textbook was valuable to them, and 83% indicated that the textbook was fundamental to their learning. Their comments included the following:
- “I thought the textbook was a good resource for essays and class discussion and I got a lot out of the textbook.”
- “I really enjoyed it; I thought it was easy to navigate and it was full of clear information.”
- “some of my… classes have books worth more than 200 dollars. I’d rather just have something like this and free.”
- “[The OER Textbook] was very helpful to my understanding of the subjects in the class.”
Project Resources
Project Partners
Bo Yang, Instructional Designer, GWLAI
Anastasia Forte, Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
Expansion and Enhancement of PyGIS: An Open-Source Geospatial Python Textbook
Michael Mann
Associate Professor
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences (Geography)
Course: Open Source: Geo-Programming II
Project Description
PyGIS is an evolving open-source textbook that enhances geospatial programming education by providing free, accessible, and comprehensive materials focused on Python and geospatial data manipulation. This project expanded the textbook’s introductory materials, improved Python installation guides, and developed sandbox environments for better user engagement.
Project Impact
- This expansion has reached over 60,000 unique visitors globally, including significant local engagement in the DC metro area.
- It has saved approximately 30 students per semester $110 each by replacing costly textbooks, directly benefiting their financial situations and supporting broader educational accessibility.
- An estimated $3,300 was saved over 2 class sections for students, underscoring the financial relief provided by the project.
Project Resources
PyGIS - Open Source Spatial Programming & Remote Sensing
Project Partners
Ricky Graham, Instructional Designer, GWLAI
Ann Myatt James PhD., Data Services Librarian. GWLAI
Going zero-cost (but not zero-sum!) in introductory economics courses
Elisa Hovander
Assistant Professor
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences (Women’s Leadership Program)
Course: Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomic
Project Description
The two primary goals of this project were as follows: 1) to promote equity in my introductory economics courses by committing to only use resources that were available free of charge for all of my students, and 2) to increase student engagement, interest and the relatability of course content by curating a collection of outside resources and educational materials. More specifically, materials were chosen to span different mediums and to present a range of real-world perspectives, discussions and applications of course concepts. The open access textbook was chosen for its attention to topics of current interest and efforts to connect theory to real-world applications.
Project Impact
- In one year, students saved approximately $5,734 relative to the cost of required materials from previous years. This estimate assumes that all students would have purchased the required materials (including the correct edition of the textbook), which is often not the case. Under this project, since all students had the same access to required and supplemental materials, equity in the classroom increased.
- Beyond promoting equity and increasing accessibility of course materials, this project led to improved learning outcomes. The curated collection of online resources helped students see the real-life relevance of course concepts, which engaged students and enhanced their comprehension of the material. These benefits were widely realized by students, as evidenced by their end of the year feedback. A few highlights:
- “I liked the additional free resources used. I feel like they improved my learning and helped me connect concepts we were learning in class to real-life situations which helped me engage more with the material.”
- “These resources were easy to access and were thoughtful additions to the material covered in class.”
- “I liked that the external resources exposed us to tools that professionals use; I felt better able to apply class knowledge to real life economic situations.”
- “I really liked the articles that we read for this course, it was useful to relate what I knew about a topic from class to the author's opinion on the topic or policy.”
- “It was very helpful that you provided free resources. A lot of practice material for other courses are in the textbook, but not all students have it. I also really liked how everything was readily available, it made the real-world applications make more sense. The articles/websites for the HW were as engaging as they were insightful, it made it more applicable to the HW since we applied/explained class concepts to the articles. “
Project Resources
Project Partner
- Cristabel Ocasio Ilarraza, Instructional Designer, LAI
Applied Categorical Data Analysis Open Textbook & New Open Courses for Public Health Students
Juan Klopper
Associate Professor
Milken Institute School of Public Health (Biostatistics & Bioinformatics)
Course: Applied Categorical Data Analysis
Project Description
An open textbook in Applied Categorical Data Analysis for the course of similar name, PUBH 6865 was developed by Dr. Juan Klopper. According to Dr. Klopper, “the Quarto document system by Posit (the company responsible for R) allows for the professional production of textbooks using the R language. All statistical tests in PUBH 6865 are introduced and performed using the R language for statistical computing. This brought about a natural decision to write an open textbook for the course using R.” The 12 chapter textbook can be viewed on the web. The webpages can be rendered as PDF documents or can be downloaded in a format that allows for interactivity with the code.
Project Impact
- The course previously had two required textbooks priced at $91.01 and $101.81 respectively. This OER saved students $1,220 to $1,830 per semester.
- Students' reactions to the OER were positive. Highlights included the following:
- The interactivity of the material with students being able to run code in the interactive version of the textbook
- The ease of copying code from the textbook into the students’ own R documents
- The interactive labs and assignments provided at the end of each chapter
- The saving incurred from not having to purchase the two prescribed textbooks
Project Resources
Project Partner
- Sara Hoover, Metadata and Scholarly Publishing Librarian, at the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
Legal Writing Guide: Upper-Level Writing and Scholarly Writing
Joshua Champagne
Professorial Lecturer in Law
GW Law School
Courses: Scholarly Writing and Upper-Level Writing
Project Description
Legal Writing Guide: Upper-Level Writing and Scholarly Writing was developed to be maximally inclusive of all students, reduce costs for students, and to maximize the rigor and focus of writing courses. The materials are a condensed version of a writing book focused on lessons gleaned from traditional textbooks, court opinions, popular articles and multimedia sources.
Project Impact
- Students saved ($32.75 per student) by using open materials and not having to buy a course book.
- Students participated at a higher rate – i.e., completed the exercises/problem sets in advance, and were equipped to re-cap and/or teach lessons in class – when using these materials than the full course books used in similar courses in the past.
- Students also received and understood lessons based on the extensive, readily-available style guide. Students engaged extensively not only with their own written work, but also with the revision and further development of the instructional materials themselves. This resulted in compelling discussions with the law students about how to teach and learn about legal writing.
Project Partner
- Ken Rodriguez, Reference/Intellectual Property Law Librarian, Burns Law Library
2023 Selection Committee
Thank you to the selection committee members for their hard work, dedication, and thoughtful consideration of all the grant applications.
Daphna Atias
Educational Developer, GWLAI
Shira Eller
Art & Design Librarian, GWLAI
Valerie Fliss
Course Reserves & Resource Sharing Specialist, GWLAI
Anastasia Forte
Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
Misty Trunnell
Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
Noah Bickford
Instructional Designer, GWLAI
Leilani Drake
GW Student
John Warren
Director and Associate Professor, Masters of Professional Studies in Publishing
2023 Grant Coordinators
For questions or more information about the Adapting Course Materials for Equity Faculty Grant, contact the grant coordinators.
Maddy Kadish
Director of Instructional Design, GWLAI
Brigette Kamsler
University Archivist, GWLAI
Sheila Dougherty
Research Services Librarian, GWLAI
2022 Grant Recipients
Screening Shakespeare, an OA Web-based Textbook
Alexa Alice Joubin, Professor, Department of English
Project Description
Screening Shakespeare is an open-access web-based textbook designed by Alexa Alice Joubin. The openly-licensed learning modules in this Open Educational Resources (OER) introduced students to key concepts of film studies, such as mise-en-scène, cinematography, sound and music, and film theory within the context of film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. The site was designed with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design principles. It drew on film adaptations of Shakespeare as case studies to explain these concepts, beginning with formal and cultural analysis of film as a medium. This website was designed with the principle of multimodal access, with multiple pathways to the contents and cross-references. Students can also navigate this site, in a more traditional manner, by way of drop-down menus that replicate the experience of leafing through a codex book.
Project Impact
- Each student saved $262.75. Fifty-eight students enrolled in two courses in Fall 2022 saved a total of $15,238.92 this semester.
- Survey results reveal the positive impact the book has had on my course and my students. Students wrote that this is not simply a linear, PDF book but an interactive website taking full advantage of modularization, dynamic videos, and interactive exercises afforded by the web format.
- “I love this textbook! It's free and straightforward, it's great that it was designed to be online too. Most of my digital textbooks are just the book in pdf form, so this was much easier to navigate. Love it!!”
- “It was a great textbook to use and feel really informative. I appreciated it being free as an undergrad student I have spent WAY too much on textbook. I also typically don't love online books but this was formatted in a way I stayed engaged and didn't need to zoom in and strain my eyes. Really appreciated this!”
Project Resources
- Screening Shakespeare
- Presented on this project at the 2022 GW Teaching Day
LAI Project Partners
- Noah Bickford, Instructional Designer, LAI
- Cristabel Ocasio Ilarraza, Instructional Designer, LAI
Teaching Adult-Geriatric Nursing 1 and 2 without a Traditional Textbook
Nadine M. Marchi, Clinical Assistant Professor, GW School of Nursing
Mary K Fey (not pictured), Associate Dean, BSN program, GW School of Nursing
Olu Feyisetan, Senior Clinical Nursing Instructor, Academic Practice Partnerships, GW School of Nursing
Nicole Trainer, Clinical Assistant GW Professor of Nursing
Project Description
For the first time, students did not purchase a textbook for the Adult Geriatric Nursing courses at the George Washington University School of Nursing. This resulted in a cost savings of $229 per student. Our goal was to make nursing education in our courses more affordable for students. Instead of the traditional textbook, the book required for the class was a Medical-Surgical nursing manual that students purchase upon admission to the program. The students purchased the manual to prepare for the licensure exam. By eliminating the traditional textbook, we eliminated the duplicate cost of purchasing two Medical-Surgical textbooks for our course. In addition, we supplemented lectures and learning activities with recent journal articles from nursing journals and other Open Educational Resources.
Project Impact
- Eliminated the cost of purchasing two books on the same topics by only requiring one book. The cost savings per student is $229 and so far, there are 76 students who benefited from this project with a total savings of: $17,404. The new cohort for Fall 2022 has 41 students so the cost savings for this group is $9,389.
- We surveyed the students in both courses in the Summer of 2022 and 75/76 respondents rated decreasing the cost of the textbook favorably and suggested we continue the one ATI workbook format.
- Students enjoyed the more interactive approach which the open resources provided.
- “Through quizlets and case studies and other modems of teaching, I felt that the information came across well and helped me to achieve and learn a lot in this class.”
- “I love the quizlets and the short videos and the case studies. Great class.”
- “I think that using the ATI book to teach is a lot better than textbooks. ATI questions really helped, quizlets too and the ati supplement assignments definitely helped with the final ati test, and I liked that the ATI test was the final, it definitely caused me to work harder.”
Project Resources
LAI Project Partner
- Tom Harrod, Associate Director, Reference, Instruction, and Access, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
Customize a Handbook of Pre-Calculus Content for MATH 1220 Using OER Materials
Sharon E. Roosevelt, Professorial Lecturer, Department of Mathematics
Project Description
The goal of the project, Customize a Handbook of Pre-Calculus Content for Math 1220 Using OER Materials, was to remix and build upon OER sources to create an in-depth, customized, supplemental pre-calculus text. The course already used an OER text but that text was missing discussion and practices for many of the course topics. Other sources did not meet our needs; they were either too broad, not the right level, or they cost too much. By using the grant to create ancillary notes and practice problems, we were able to create sources that specifically responded to the students’ needs.
Project Impact
- The resources were used for 2 sections, so 140 plus students were able to save money and use materials created with their specific course needs in mind. Students’ reliance on paid tutors also decreased.
- The resources were responsible for a greater synergy between the calculus and pre-calculus portions of the course.
- The resources were able to be shared among instructors.
Project Resources
- Pre-Calculus Review is the supplemental text compiled and edited under the ACME grant.
LAI Project Partner
- Debbie Bezanson, Senior Librarian for Science, Engineering & Assessment, LAI
An Open-Source Music Theory Text in a Fundamentals Classroom
Eugene Montague, Associate Professor, Music Program
Project Description
This course was a first-semester course in the basics of notating, writing, and thinking about music. It functioned as a introduction to core skills in music theory, including the ability to write and read Western staff notation, an introduction to concepts of pitch organization including triads, chords, scales, harmony, and melody, and a broader, text-based discussion of musical elements such as timbre, texture, and form. This project aimed to detach the course from a thorough but pricey traditional textbook to an open-source book, supplemented by further online resources. The aims were not only to ease the cost-burden on students, but also to allow for greater flexibility in the course topics, especially a focus on topics outside the common purview of Western music theory.
Project Impact
- Each student saved $124.99. Sixteen students enrolled in the Fall 2022 class and twenty students enrolled in Spring 2023 saved a total of $4499.64.
- The students were not required to purchase or rent an expensive textbook which was designed for four semesters of use. Rather, the online text gave succinct explanations of key terms, often illustrated by embedded aural examples. Since the necessary skill exercises were also contained on the same platform, the students gained a more integrated and simple course structure. My conscious attempt to guide the topics of the course outside the domains of staff notation also benefited the students through allowing them to engage with a diverse array of musical genres and styles through text-based discussion and writing.
- It also allowed for a substantial engagement with topics outside the range of traditional textbooks, by being situated online, I could integrate other support materials into the appropriate modules in a more flowing way that would be possible with a paper text.
Project Resources
LAI Project Partner
- Shira Eller, Art & Design Librarian, LAI
Introduction to Biomedical Engineering II
Hyungsok "Nathan" Choe, Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Engineering and Applied Science (Biomedical Engineering)
Project Description
Through this project, Professor Hyungsok “Nathan” Choe replaced conventional commercial textbooks with open-source books for MATLAB and medical imaging, specifically ultrasound, and created comprehensive learning materials for these courses. Professor Choe sourced an in-depth understanding of health inequity issues by using resources that were available through the OER repository and to replace the expensive commercial text to an open source book.
Project Impact
- Each student saved $113. Approximately fifty students enrolled in the course, which saved a total of $5,085 this semester.
- Created a comprehensive learning resource for introductory biomedical engineering courses, which are freely accessible to all.
- The implementation of open-source materials allowed students to access biomedical engineering programming resources without incurring additional costs for textbook purchases. Furthermore, these materials provided students with higher quality content, enabling them to practice coding during class sessions and office hours with the instructor team.
Project Resources
- MATLAB is the text compiled and edited under the ACME grant.
LAI Project Partner
- Debbie Bezanson, Senior Librarian for Science, Engineering & Assessment, LAI
2022 Selection Committee
Daphna Atias, Educational Developer, GWLAI
Shira Eller, Art & Design Librarian, GWLAI
Valerie Fliss, Course Reserves & Resource Sharing Specialist, GWLAI
Maddy Kadish, Director of Instructional Design, GWLAI
Paul Kelly, Digital Services Manager, GWLAI
Abby Shulte, GW Student, M.A. American Studies '23
John Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Masters of Professional Studies in Publishing
2022 Grant Coordinators
Morgan Stoddard, Director of Research Services, GWLAI
Brigette Kamsler, University Archivist, GWLAI
Ally Zomchek, Eckles Librarian, GWLAI
