New Open Education digital textbook published

Dr. Rebecca Barnes, Senior University Teacher in the School of Biosciences, has recently edited a new Open Education textbook titled Cat Burglars, Yeast Races, and Other Hypothesis-Driven Bioscience Practicals.

Image of the front cover of the text book

Developed by Dr. Barnes and her co-authors in the School of Biosciences, with support from the University Library, this openly accessible digital book features eight laboratory practicals. These activities are designed to help undergraduate students build essential experimental planning skills.

The textbook is tailored for educators at other institutions who might like to adapt the practicals for their own teaching. It provides a comprehensive collection of student-facing materials, teacher resources, and technical guidance—all of which can be freely shared, edited, and adapted under a Creative Commons license.

We are very proud of the practical elements of the Biosciences courses, and I’m so excited to share these resources with the world! An open educational resource is a great way of letting academics at other institutions find our work and modify it for their own use. Assembling the book, with my Biosciences and Library colleagues, has been a joy, and I would recommend it to anyone considering sharing some of their teaching materials.

Dr. Rebecca Barnes

Senior University Teacher

About Open Educational Resources (OER)

Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning, teaching, and research materials available in any format or medium. These resources are either in the public domain or released under an open license, allowing no-cost access, reuse, adaptation, and redistribution by others.

Access the textbook here

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