Adaptation and Curation

One of the great things about OER is that you can modify and remix existing resources to better suit your needs. This process is called adaptation or modification. You may also curate a new resource by combining multiple resources into a single new resource. You can then share your resources as a new OER.

Why Adapt an OER?

There are several reasons you may want to adapt or curate a resource. An existing OER may not have all the content you would like to include in your course. Or there may not be any cohesive OER for your course, but there may be available materials you can pick and choose from to build the perfect resource for your class.

Below are further reasons that adaptation is a good option:

Save time and work by mixing OERs with your own material to make something richer
Make the material more accessible
Insert culturally specific references to make a concept more relevant
Translate it into another language
Correct errors or inaccuracies
Keep the OER up to date by adding the latest discoveries or theories
Insert media or links to other resources
Adapt it for a different audience or educational level
Change the format of the OER

Things to Consider Before Adapting or Modifying

There are several factors to consider when adapting an OER. The more you want to change, expand, or edit an OER, the more time you will need. Below are some important considerations.

How much content do you wish to change? Do you want to remove chapters, or rewrite entire chapters of content?
What technical format is the original textbook in? It can be time-consuming to modify than a PDF document.
What type of license is the content released under? Does it have a Creative Commons license that allows for modification or adaptation of the content?
How comfortable are you with using technology and creating content?
Remember that students prefer format flexibility with their textbook--having access to both print and online options. You may need to find additional conversion tools to convert your final textbook to a different format.
If you wish to edit or create graphics, images, charts, and/or multimedia content, you will need to use additional, specialized tools to create these.
Keep it simple. Think of the textbook as a living resource that you can improve incrementally over time.

Six Steps to Modifying an Open Textbook

Step 1: Check the license

First, check the license to make sure you have the permission to modify the contents. If the license type is ND (No Derivatives) then you can redistribute the material in any format. However, you cannot remix, transform, or build upon the material. So long as the Creative Commons license does not have a No Derivatives clause, you are able to change the contents of the resource. For more information about specific license types see the Creative Commons license page.

Step 2: The format of the textbook

If you wish to adapt an open textbook, you need to be able to have the textbook in a format that you can work with. This usually means the original source files used to create the textbook.

Common source formats for open textbooks that you should look for are:

- HTML files (webpages)
- Word or OpenOffice documents
- Text files
- ePub
- LaTex files (if the original book includes math or science formulas and equations).

What tools you will use to create your version of the textbook will depend greatly on what format you find the original textbook in and what you feel comfortable working with.

It is common that open textbooks may only be available as a PDF document. It is easy to redistribute PDF files. However, PDF documents are not easily editable. If you want to modify an open textbook that is only available in PDF format, you will need to convert the PDF document to one of the formats above.

Before you consider converting a PDF version of the textbook, you should contact the original author to ask for a copy of the textbook source files. Converting a PDF document to an editable format is a difficult, time consuming and imprecise process.

Step 3: Tools for editing an open textbook

Once you have a source format to edit, you can begin to modify the textbook. What tools you will use to do this will depend greatly on what editable format you are working with, and your comfort level with working with that format.

In this workshop we will look at curation, adaptation, and creation using Word, PDF and PressBooks.

Step 4: Choosing a license

Once you have finished creating your own version of the textbook, you should decide on which Creative Commons license you will use to license your book. This will depend a great deal on how the original textbook was licensed.

For example, if the original textbook was licensed with SA (Share Alike) license, then you must release your book with the same license as the original source material to ensure it is fully compliant with the original CC terms of use. More information about licensing and marking your content can be found at the Creative Commons site and on this brief guide.

Step 5: Output

Students like flexibility when it comes to their textbooks. Some may prefer printed versions of the textbook, others will prefer using a website. Still others will like to use an e-reader or e-reading software. To make your book as accessible as possible, consider making your textbook available in multiple formats so students have the ability to choose the format that works for them. At the very least it is important that there is a free online version of the textbook and a version that can be printed for those who prefer it.

Step 6: How do my students get my textbook?

Once you have edited your version of the textbook, you will need a place to put your textbook where your students can access it. This can be as simple as a web link or it may involve a bit more depending on your institution. For example, at Butte College, instructors will need to notify the bookstore of the type of book their class is using. This lets students know about the book before class and can facilitate arrangements for printed versions of the book if needed.

Additional Resources:

Suggested Curation Workflow

Modifying an Open Textbook: What You Need to Know

Attributions:

Adapted from 6 Steps to modifying an Open Textbook, BC Campus, OpenEd Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License; Why remix an Open Educational Resource?, by Liam Green-Hughes, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK: England & Wales License