Open Textbooks @ UNI

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  Critical Writing About Literature

  Erika L. Bass

  This free custom textbook includes openly-licensed and public domain works for the University of Northern Iowa course ENGLISH 2120: Critical Writing about Literature. It introduces readers to the knowledge and skills necessary to critically read, interpret, and analyze literature. The editor--Dr. Erika L. Bass--chose these readings to orient readers to important concepts and literature genres, as well as develop writing skills. While these chapters were chosen from other OER textbooks, I took care in selecting the chapters that are relevant to course objectives and will help students transfer skills from one class to the next, regardless of major. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Public Administration: The Essentials

  Jayme L. Renfro

  Public Administration: The Essentials provides students with the conceptual foundation they need for an introduction to the field of public administration. This OER textbook covers the most critical issues in the field through the use of classic texts and theory as well as through modern examples. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Elements of Creative Writing

  Grant Tracey, Rachel Morgan, and Jeremy Schraffenberger

  This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States. We’ve selected nearly all of our readings and examples from writing that has appeared in our pages over the years. Because we had a hand in publishing these pieces originally, our perspective as editors permeates this book. As such, we hope that even seasoned writers might gain insight into the aesthetics of our magazine as we analyze and discuss some reasons we think this work is so remarkable—and therefore teachable. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Cornerstone: 2023-2024 [2nd edition]

  Nikki Harken, Deb Young, Sadé Barfield, and Scott Bredman

  The Cornerstone textbook is a free, custom textbook for you, published by Rod Library. It is a compilation of materials from more than six free, openly-licensed textbooks. Your Cornerstone instructors carefully selected the best of the best for your course! -- Provided by the publisher

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  Graduate Research Project Guide: Secondary Data Analysis

  Sei-Young Lee and Siyon Rhee

  This Open Educational Resource (OER) book presents a step-by-step guide to help graduate students complete a Master’s thesis or a graduate research project paper for those who conduct research using a secondary dataset. Almost all graduate programs require a Master’s thesis/graduate research project as a graduate requirement. However, it is not easy for students to complete a thesis/research project since it requires a mastery of knowledge and skills through the integration of research methodology and statistics. Both research methodology and statistics are not easy subjects for students as well as researchers. Nonetheless, books or other published materials that combine both research methodology and statistics are rare mainly due to the magnitude of information and the difficulty of both subjects. As instructors who have supervised graduate students’ research projects for over 20 years, we understood the struggles and challenges students often face in the process of completing their theses/projects. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Methods of Teaching Early Literacy

  Nandita Gurjar, Sohyun Meacham, and Constance Beecher

  Theories, teaching strategies, and instructional materials pertinent to teaching reading and writing in grades PK-3, with an emphasis on integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as integration across content areas while addressing diversity and inclusion. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Aural Training and Sight Singing Supplement for Comprehensive Musicianship: A Practical Resource [2023]

  Randall Harlow, Heather Peyton, Jonathan Schwabe, and Daniel Swilley

  This supplement was designed to help students build a strong foundation in aural training and sight singing by progressing through the core rhythmic and melodic patterns that are found in music. Through the progression of content, students will build skills in pattern recognition and an understanding of how music functions. Rhythms for each section include single and two-part examples as well as pitched examples for use in aural training. Melodies for each section include single line melodies, canons, duets, and chorales. Melodies were designed to be easily accessible for students with basic keyboard skills, and were written without articulation and dynamic markings to allow students and instructors the flexibility to personalize them. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Communication for College, Career, and Civic Life

  Ryan McGeough, C. Kyle Rudick, Danielle Dick McGeough, and Kathryn B. Golsan

  To address the challenges facing us as a society and a species, students must develop a robust set of skills, ethics, and dispositions that help them work with others to promote justice, peace, and equity. This OER, in promoting a robust set of communication skills, will serve as a foundational preparation for students who want to be successful in their education, careers, and civic lives.

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  Semillas [Seeds]: Elementary Spanish I

  Giovanni Zimotti, Rachel Klevar, Eden Jones, and Gabriela Olivares-Chat

  Semillas: Elementary Spanish I is a comprehensive introductory Spanish open-access textbook with reading, listening, speaking, and writing practice. To ensure that our textbook is diverse and inclusive we have built a team of writers who cross gender, age, and nationality. We have consulted with people whose voices represent diverse demographic segments of the Spanish-speaking world to include a plurality of pronunciations and appearances. This textbook underwent a rigorous review process that included professionals from more than ten higher education organizations in the United States.

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  Aural Training and Sight Singing Supplement for Comprehensive Musicianship: A Practical Resource [2022]

  Randall Harlow, Heather Peyton, Jonathan Schwabe, and Daniel Swilley

  This supplement was designed to help students build a strong foundation in aural training and sight singing by progressing through the core rhythmic and melodic patterns that are found in music. Through the progression of content, students will build skills in pattern recognition and an understanding of how music functions. Rhythms for each section include single and two-part examples as well as pitched examples for use in aural training. Melodies for each section include single line melodies, canons, duets, and chorales. Melodies were designed to be easily accessible for students with basic keyboard skills, and were written without articulation and dynamic markings to allow students and instructors the flexibility to personalize them. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Comprehensive Musicianship, A Practical Resource

  Randall Harlow, Heather Peyton, Jonathan Schwabe, and Daniel Swilley

  This OER presents an integrated suite of learning resources developed for the core music theory and musicianship curriculum at the University of Northern Iowa School of Music. It provides a more comprehensive symbiosis of musicianship and music theory learning than can be found in existing textbooks, including engaging and progressive video demonstrations and interactive listening and vocal exercises that integrate musical knowledge with foundational musical skills. This OER affords the flexibility to shape core musicianship and music theory learning to meet the needs of changing School of Music demographics well into the future, a resource for innovative and inviting music programs accessible to all. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Workbook for Comprehensive Musicianship: A Practical Resource

  Randall Harlow, Heather Peyton, Jonathan Schwabe, and Daniel Swilley

  This workbook is a supplement to Comprehensive Musicianship: A Practical Resource. Each workbook chapter corresponds to the equivalent chapter in the textbook, and is designed to facilitate the exploration and mastery of the concepts presented through a variety of exercises. Exercises contained in the workbook consist of musical analysis and writing drills, presented both in isolated examples and in context in musical literature, as well as the application of music theory concepts through composition exercises. These exercises can be used as class examples as well as homework assignments. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Cornerstone: 2022-2023 [1st edition]

  Nikki Harken and Deb Young

  The Cornerstone textbook is a free, custom textbook for you, published by Rod Library. It is a compilation of materials from more than six free, openly-licensed textbooks. Your Cornerstone instructors carefully selected the best of the best for your course! -- Provided by the publisher