Blog Archives
CrashCourse Video Series Added to OER Collection
On May 5th, the CrashCourse educational video series was added to the open educational resources collection within the NCLOR. CrashCourse is a YouTube based educational channel that creates free, high-quality educational videos used by teachers and learners of all kinds. CrashCourse is a educational video series created by John and Hank Green. Over 660 resources were added in the courses of World Mythology, Computer Science, Sociology, Media Literacy, Statistics, Film, History, Biology, Ecology, Chemistry, Psychology, Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, Philosophy, Astronomy, and U.S. Government and Politics. This series has helped changed attitudes towards education by creating a community of learners who are looking for more than just help passing a test. Each course includes animated videos to explain course topics in an easy to understand manner.
Example: Quantum Mechanics – Part 1: Crash Course Physics #43
Accessibility Statement: All of the videos and/or learning objects in this series are closed captioned or have links to the text version of the video narration on of each activity.
The NCCCS courses that these resources may supplement are; AST111, AST151, AST152, BIO090, BIO145, BIO163, BIO165, BIO166, CHM082, CHM090, CHM092, CSC120, CSC130, FVP111, FVP112, FVP212, FVP213, FVP3100, HEA3002, HIS111, HIS112, MAT152, PHI210, PHI215, PHY110, PHY151, POL120, PSY150, SOC100, and SOC210.
To access these resources, you can do any of the following:
- Since these resources are open, you can access the series via Guest Access here: CrashCourse or log into the NCLOR and click on the More button on the left menu bar. Then click the Browse by Open Educational Resource Series link and then click the CrashCourse link.
- If you are K-14 faculty, you can add the links to the resources directly to your LMS based course. (learn how)
OpenIntro eTextbooks added to NCLOR OER collection
Today, three statistical eTextbooks from OpenIntro.org were added to the open educational resources collection in the NCLOR. The goal of the openintro.org and its related projects are to improve the quality of education while lowering expenses. This is largely accomplished by providing, distributing, and organizing educational information, materials, and services.
In regard to education quality, OpenIntro.org states…
“The textbook and other resources have been tested by a wide range of instructors. For example, our textbooks have been used in high schools and at dozens of colleges, from Edmonds Community College in Washington to Princeton University in New Jersey to the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India.”
The textbook titles added in this series are:
- Statistics
- Advanced High School Statistics
- Introductory Statistics with Randomization and Simulation
Each textbook is accompanied by a list of videos, labs, and teacher resources used in the instruction. The video list is a summary of each video used in the textbook chapters. The lab resources are links to tools and data sets students may use in the instruction. The teacher resources are the lecture slides, sample exams, sample syllabi, learning objectives and educational software needed for the instruction.
These textbooks are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The NCCCS courses that these resources may supplement are; BUS-228, MAT-152, and MAT-252.
To access these resources, you can do any of the following:
- Since these resources are open, you can access the series via Guest Access here: OpenIntro or log into the NCLOR and click on the More button on the left menu bar.
- Then click the Resource Series link and then click the OpenIntro link.
- Or go directly to OpenIntro.org
If you are K-14 faculty, you can add the links to the resources directly to your LMS based course. (learn how)
CK-12 Resource Series Updated in NCLOR
Due to a resource reorganization at CK-12, the NCLOR needed to re-catalog all the resources available from the CK-12 foundation. The FlexBooks® currently available (72), have now been downloaded to the NCLOR directly in PDF and ePub formats. To view the files you will need a pdf reader or an iOS device, Android device or ePub reader to view the ePub files. All older versions of the resources in the CK-12 series have been archived.
FlexBook® textbooks are CK-12’s open source digital textbooks.
The CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market both in the U.S. and worldwide. Using an open-content, web-based collaborative model termed the FlexBook®, CK-12 intends to pioneer the generation and distribution of high-quality educational content that will serve both as core text as well as provide an adaptive environment for learning.
Except as otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content is made available to users in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), as amended and updated by Creative Commons from time to time (the “CC License”), which is incorporated herein by this reference.
Click on the links below to view the different FlexBook® subjects available in this resource series collection.
FlexBook® Subjects
- Science : Biology (14), Chemistry (4), Earth Science (4), Life Science (4), and Physics (7)
- Mathematics : Algebra (8), Analysis (3), Calculus (4), Geometry (8), Probability (6), Statistics (6), and Trigonometry (5)
- Engineering (3)
- English (3)
- Technology (1)
- Astronomy (1)
- History (2)
The NCCCS courses that these resource may supplement are: AST111, AST111A, BIO090, BIO094, BIO100, BIO106, BIO110, BIO111, BIO112, BIO150, BIO162, BIO163, CHM080, CHM081, CHM082, CHM130, CHM132, DFT214, DMA030, EGR110, EGY2000, ENG125, ENG126, EVN110, HIS131, JOU110, MAT121, MAT122, MAT142, MAT223, MAT252, MAT263, MAT271, PHY101, PHY110, PHY121, and PHY122.
To access these resources, you can do any of the following:
- Click on any of the links above.
- Log into the NCLOR and click on the More button on the left menu bar. Then click the Resource Series link and then CK-12 Flexbooks.
- If you are K-14 faculty, you can add the links to the resources directly to your LMS based course. (learn how)
Art of Problem Solving series added to the NROC collection
The Art of Problem Solving series has now been loaded to the NCLOR. Art of Problem Solving develops math educational materials for high-performing math students in grades 6-12. The subjects included in this series are: Arithmetic, Pre-Algebra, and Counting & Probability. This content is made available from the through the NROC collection. The topics included in the subjects are: Data and Statistics, Decimals, Equations and Inequalities, Exponents, Fractions and more.
Example: Art of Problem Solving- Pre-Algebra (Expressions with Fractions)
Accessing Content: To find this content you can do any of the following:
- Search by free text for: “Art of Problem Solving”
- Browse by NROC resource series: Navigate to the Browse by Resource Series area> click on the NROC series> Subject Area> Elementary Mathematics
- Browse by NCCCS Combined Course Library: Click on Browse Course Subjects E-G > DMA010-DMA080
Important Note: Due to NROC license agreement this series is only available to NCCCS Faculty. You can however find the resources available directly from Art of Problem Solving .
SBCTC Open Course Library Phase II Courses added to NCLOR
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has updated the Open Course Library, which is a collection of expertly developed educational materials for 81 of the state’s highest-enrolled college courses. The materials are freely available online under an open license for use by the state’s 34 public community and technical colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and anyone else worldwide. The subjects included in this update are: Business, Communications, English, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics, and Science.
This resource series contains the IMS Common Cartridge files of the Open Course Library catalog. These files are compatible with many learning management systems (LMS) and contain all of the course content including syllabi, course activities, readings, and assessments. Some courses have content available via Google Docs which enables users to download the course resources directly to their Google account.
All of the course titles included in this series are:
American Government, American Literature I, American Sign Language I, American Sign Language II, American Sign Language III, Art Appreciation, Biology I, Biology II, Biology III, Business Calculus, Business Law, Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III, College Success Course, Cultural Anthropology, Elementary Algebra, Engineering Physics I, English Composition I, English Composition II, French I, French II, French III, General Biology with Lab, General Chemistry with Lab I, General Chemistry with Lab II, General Chemistry with Lab III, General Psychology, Health for Adult Living, Human Anatomy and Physiology 1&2, Intermediate Algebra, Interpersonal Communication, Intro to Communication, Intro to Drama, Intro to Humanities, Intro to Mass Media, Intro to Political Science, Intro to Sociology, Introduction To Astronomy, Introduction To Business, Introduction to Chemistry (Inorganic), Introduction To Literature I, Introduction To Logic, Introduction To Oceanography, Introduction To Philosophy, Introduction to Physical Geology, Introduction to Statistics, Lifespan Psychology, Macroeconomics, Math in Society, Microbiology, Microeconomics, Music Appreciation, Nutrition, Pacific NW History, Physical Anthropology, Physics: Non Science Majors, Precalculus I, Precalculus II, Pre-College English, Principles of Accounting I, Principles of Accounting II, Principles of Accounting III, Public Speaking, Research for the 21st Century, Small Group Communication, Social Problems, Spanish I, Spanish II, Spanish III, Survey of Anthropology, Survey of Biology, Survey of Environmental Science, Symbolic Logic, Technical Writing, US History I, US History II, US History III, Western Civilization, Women in US History, and World Civilizations I.
Creative Commons License
This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License which means that you are free to reuse the course in its entirety, edit it and use a your own modified version, or pick out only pieces which can be incorporated into your own course, as long as you credit the original author for their work.
The NCCCS courses that could be enhanced by using these resources are:
ACC111, ACC115, ACC118, ACC119, ACC120, ACC221, ACC3107, ANT210, ANT220, ANT230, ART111, ASL111, ASL112, ASL211, ASL221, ASL222, AST151, BIO100, BIO106, BIO110, BIO111, BIO112, BIO155, BIO160, BIO163, BUS110, BUS115, BUS116, BUS121, CHM115A, CHM121A, CHM131, CHM131A, CHM151, COM110, COM120, COM150, COM160, COM231, COM3709, ECO251, ECO252, EGR150, EGR220, ENG090, ENG110, ENG111, ENG116, ENG131, ENG132, ENG138, ENG231, ENV110, FLI3714, FLI3717, FRE111, FRE112, FRE211, FRE212, FRE221, GEL120, HEA110, HIS111, HIS121, HIS122, HIS131, HIS132, HIS162, HIS165, HIS232, HUM211, LIB210, MAT070, MAT080, MAT101, MAT151, MAT171, MAT172, MAT210, MAT223, MAT271, MAT272, MAT273, MSC160, MUS110, PHI210, PHI216, PHI230, PHY080, PHY090, POL110, POL120, PSY110, PSY150, SOC210, SOC220, SPA110, SPA111, SPA211, SPA212, SPA241,and SPA242.
To access this series, you can do any of the following:
Open eTextbook series now available in the NCLOR
A new eTextbook resource series is now available in the NCLOR. Initially, there are 17 open eTextbooks available in the series, but we will be expanding on the collection in the near future. All of the etexbooks are open and FREE to use. The subjects included in this series are: business, mathematics, chemistry, psychology, physics, marketing and many others. The majority of the eTextbooks are from the Connexions Repository at Rice University and have been endorsed by the Community College Open Textbook Collaborative.
The eTextbooks in this series are loaded to the NCLOR in multiple formats which include PDF, ePUB and links to online versions. The PDF versions of the eTextbooks are viewable on any PC and Mac computer and most mobile devices. The ePUB format is specifically designed to be viewed with mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones. For more information about devices that can read the ePUB format, click here.
Why are Open eTextbooks important? Please view the video below from the Florida’s statewide Orange Grove Repository to find out the importance of open eTextbooks.
The eTextbook titles included in this series and the NCCCS courses the eTextbooks could enrich are:
- AP Environmental Science (EVN-110)
- Applied Finite Mathematics (MAT-167)
- Business Fundamentals (BUS-110)
- Collaborative Statistics (MAT-151)
- Concept Development Studies in Chemistry (CHM-081)
- Educational Psychology (PSY-263)
- Elementary Algebra (DMA-020, DMA-040,DMA-050, DMA-060, DMA-070, DMA-080)
- A First Course in Electrical and Computer Engineering (EGR-110)
- Fundamentals of Mathematics (DMA-020, DMA-030)
- Project Management for Scientists and Engineers (PMT-110)
- Three Modules on Clear Writing Style – An Introduction to The Craft of Argument (ENG-090)
- Introduction to Paleoanthropology (ANT245)
- Core Concepts of Marketing (MKT-120)
- Democratizing Innovation
- Education for a Digital World – Advice, Guidelines, and Effective Practice from Around the Globe (EDU-3005)
- College Physics (PHY-080)
- Introduction to Sociology (SOC-100)
To access this resource series:
- log into the NCLOR www.explorethelor.org as guest or through your institution’s learning management system (LMS)
- navigate to the Browse by Learning Resource Type area
- click on eBooks.
SBCTC Open Course Library Courses added to NCLOR
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has created the Open Course Library, which is a collection of expertly developed educational materials for 42 of the state’s highest-enrolled college courses. The materials cost $30 or less per student and are freely available online under an open license for use by the state’s 34 public community and technical colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and anyone else worldwide. The subjects included in this resource series are: Business, Communications, English, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics, and Science.
This resource series contains the IMS Common Cartridge files of the Open Course Library catalog. These files are compatible with many learning management systems (LMS) and contain all of the course content including syllabi, course activities, readings, and assessments.
IMS Common Cartridge files are usually loaded to the LMS by the system administrator but you can view the course content by entering the WashingtonOnline (WAOL) system with the guest account here: https://sites.google.com/a/sbctc.edu/opencourselibrary/courses/phase-1-courses
Creative Commons License
This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which means that you are free to reuse the course in its entirety, edit it and use a your own modified version, or pick out only pieces which can be incorporated into your own course, as long as you credit the original author for their work.
The NCCCS courses that could be enhanced by using these resources are: ACC119 ,ACC120 , ACC3107 ,ACC111 ,ACC115 ,ACC118 , ANT220 , ANT230 , ART111 ,BIO106 ,BIO163 ,BIO111.BUS110 ,CHM131 ,CHM151 ,COM231 ,ECO251 ,ECO252 ,EGR150 ,EGR220 ,ENG110 ,ENG090 ,ENG111 ,ENG116 ,ENG131 ,ENG138 ,GEL120 ,HIS131 ,HIS132 ,HIS232 ,HIS165 ,LIB210 ,MAT080 ,MAT070 ,MAT151 ,MAT171 ,MAT172 ,MAT271 ,MAT272 ,MAT273 ,MSC160 ,MUS110 ,PHI210 ,PHI216 ,PHI230 ,PSY110 ,and PSY150.
To access this series, you can do any of the following:
NC School of Science and Math Adds 500+ New Resources to NCLOR
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics has added over 500 new learning resources to their resource series in the NCLOR. The topics included in this installment of resources are: Algebra, Calculus, Chemistry, History, Physics, Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry, and Statistics. The format of the new resources are videos, animations and documents. The resources included this addition are the very ones used in the NCSSM Online program.
Image from the Atmospheric Pressure animation from the Chemistry "CORE" collection of NCSSM.
This series is available to everyone in the NCLOR including guests.
The NCCCS courses that could be enhanced by using these resources are: CHM081, CHM082, CHM092, CHM131, MAT121, MAT122, MAT151, MAT162, MAT171, MAT172, MAT175, MAT271, HIS131, PHY080, PHY090, PHY101, and PHY102.
To access this series, you can do any of the following:
- Log into the NCLOR and click on “Browse by Resource Series” and then the NC School of Science and Mathematics series.
New Math Resources from Khan Academy & SAS Added to NCLOR
Over 450 math resources have been added to the Khan Academy and SAS Curriculum Pathways resource series. The complete developmental math collection of Khan Academy is now available in the NCLOR. Resources on Algebra, Geometry, Numbers and Operations, Statistics and Probability, and Trigonometry have been added to the SAS Curriculum Pathways series.
The NCCCS courses that could be enhanced by using these resources are: MAT120, MAT121, and MAT151. The new developmental math redesign courses will also be tagged to this content.
To access the series you can do any of the following:
- Log into the NCLOR and click on “Browse by Resource Series” and then the Khan Academy or SAS Curriculum Pathways series.
- If you are NCCCS faculty, you can add the links to the resources directly to your LMS based course. (learn how)
- Simply, click here to view the Khan series as a guest. *The SAS series is not available to guests.
Open Learning Initiative Resource Series Added to NCLOR
Fourteen courses from the Open Learning Initiative were added to the NCLOR. The Open Learning Initiative (OLI), based at Carnegie Mellon University, is an open educational resources project that strives to transform instruction, significantly improve learning outcomes and to achieve significant increases in productivity in post secondary education. The Open Learning Initiative is supported by the National Science Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and others.
The topics of the courses include: Biology, Economics, Math, French, Chemistry, Engineering, and Physics. The courses are exemplars of scientifically based online courses and course materials that enact instruction. The courses are designed based on learning science research.
The list of the courses along with the recommended NCCCS course the resource may enhance are outlined in the chart below.
To access this series, you can do any of the following:
- Log into the NCLOR and click on “Browse by Resource Series” and then the Open Learning Initiative series.
- If you are NCCCS faculty, you can add the links to the resources directly to your LMS based course. (learn how)
- Simply, click here to view the series as a guest.
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