We don’t often re-blog a whole post (we don’t have a special aversion to doing so, though the simple fact remains), but we’re breaking with tradition for Geoff Cain’s post on biology resources at his Brainstorm in Progress blog. It is an excellent annotated short-list for those who want to dive in to bio either as students or as teachers/tutors (we know it’s excellent because it mentions Saylor.org, naturally).
See Geoff’s collection below, and visit his blog for more good stuff. As Director of Academic Technology for Humboldt State University with bona fides in OER, elearning, and education more generally, Geoff Cain knows whereof he speaks.
We’ll add to the mix the quite useful Anatomy Corner and Biology Corner, two openly-licensed sites we previously reviewed.
OER: Possible Resources for Biology – Human Anatomy & Physiology (Geoff Cain, Brainstorm in Progress, 26 July 2013 | CC BY-NC-SA
These are some possible resources for developing our own textbook and course for anatomy and physiology. I will use this wiki this summer to sort through some biology textbooks and OERs for possible use in BIOL 102 Human Biology. Remember that since these are openly licensed we can mix these materials anyway we want to meet your course goals and objectives. I will also be looking at possible lab kits and other solutions.
Open Textbooks
- OpenStax – OpenStax textbooks are freely available in .pdf and they also have a low-cost, print-on-demand option.
-
- Boundless Biology Open Textbook [EDIT Sept. 2019: new link via Lumen Learning.]
- Open Learning Initiative (Carnegie Mellon University) Their textbook is in their class. You can access it as a guest by clicking on the blue “Enter Course” button
- Utah State Office of Education
- Open Source Library (WA State)
- Bruce Forceia
- Wendy Riggs
Open Education Resources (OER)
- CK12
- Biology (include short video demonstrations)
- Khan Academy
- MERLOT (content builder)
Open Courses
Hello,
I am taking the BIO101A. I already have an MBA but I am changing careers in about 4-5 years to the field of botany/horticulture. The course is quite challenging (from business to Biology) but well structured to be able to absorb the mass of information. As I get closer to retirement, I realize that I would like to work for my self (a different kind of stress as compared to the labor workforce)and own a small business. Therefore, I will need to take approximately 3 courses from Saylor.org. I’m grateful to be able to take these courses for free.