{"id":27,"date":"2016-10-14T18:07:58","date_gmt":"2016-10-14T22:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/creating-an-open-textbook\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T16:35:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T21:35:27","slug":"creating-an-open-textbook","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/creating-an-open-textbook\/","title":{"raw":"Creating an Open Textbook","rendered":"Creating an Open Textbook"},"content":{"raw":"As a MacEwan instructor, perhaps you have reviewed existing open textbooks and not found one that meets your needs. If you are committed to using open textbooks in your teaching, the next step could be to create your own.\r\n<h2>Getting Started<\/h2>\r\nOnce you have decided to create an open textbook, review the MacEwan Open Books <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/terms-of-use\/\">Terms of Use<\/a> and fill out a <a href=\"https:\/\/macewan.libwizard.com\/f\/openbooks\">Request Form<\/a> to request an account, or contact <a href=\"mailto:digitalscholarship@macewan.ca\">digitalscholarship@macewan.ca<\/a> to discuss whether MacEwan University Library's Pressbooks platform is the best fit for your project.\r\n\r\nUpon receiving a request for a MacEwan Open Books account, the librarian overseeing the service will be in touch to set up a session with you and any collaborators to discuss your project in more detail and provide an introduction to Pressbooks functionality and features (see: <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/pressbooks-training-checklist\/\">Pressbooks Training Checklist<\/a>).\r\n<h2>Planning Your Open Textbook<\/h2>\r\nHow can you ensure that your textbook is of the greatest utility to students and other instructors? The way you select and organize your content will determine how useful the book will be as an instructional tool.\r\n\r\nYou may want to develop a workflow for how you will approach the project.\r\n\r\nA typical writing workflow could be something like this:\r\n\r\n<strong>Conceptualize \u2192 Outline \u2192 Write \u2192 Review \u2192 Edit \u2192 Publish<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAn open textbook production workflow also requires finding and attributing media that is under open copyright licenses, as needed, and making sure that your book is accessible to others. Visit our chapters on <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/using-copyrighted-material\/\">Using Copyrighted Material<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/accessibility-considerations\">Accessibility Considerations<\/a> to learn more.\r\n\r\nHere is a detailed workflow of typical open textbook production in <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/\">MacEwan Open Books<\/a>:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_212\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2016\/10\/Open-Textbook-Production-Workflow-Aug2024.pdf\"><img class=\"wp-image-212 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguidedraft\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2024-08-26-at-9.10.29\u202fPM-1024x585.png#fixme\" alt=\"Image links to a PDF with details about the production workflow: Conceptualize, Outline, Write, Review, Edit, Publish.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2016\/10\/Open-Textbook-Production-Workflow-Aug2024.pdf\">Click to enlarge<\/a> [PDF][\/caption]\r\n<h2>Setting Learning Objectives<\/h2>\r\nBefore beginning to write, think about planning your book chapters in terms of desired learning objectives. By the end of the chapter, what should students be able to do? Setting learning objectives will help you determine the level of the material, the content you include, and the design of any assessments that might be included at the end of each chapter or section.\r\n\r\nLearning objectives for your textbook can be written using Bloom's <em>Taxonomy of Educational Objectives<\/em> (1956) as shown in Figure 2.1. The taxonomy has six levels, moving from the least complex type of learning, \"Remember,\" to the most complex, \"Create.\" An effective learning objective will use an appropriate action verb to define the level of learning. For example, \"By the end of this section, learners will be able to <em>organize<\/em> their textbook content according to Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives.\" By using the verb \"organize,\" the level of learning is set at the \"Analyze\" level of Bloom's Taxonomy.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_43\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/10\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-25\" src=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371.jpg\" alt=\"Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create\" width=\"500\" height=\"263\" \/><\/a> Figure 2.1 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/vandycft\/29428436431\/in\/photolist-6sXg9E-LQuqT2-nJehdW-6k6XEr-6bqnHs-edgmHe-aFG3ea-nvTr2H-GwKn4B-2QTyaH-4fD7ga-2yXQU3-c4rV3W-CctES5-aG4nPe-6LJeTh-j5DigX-38zwPr-38E65h-jwnNxQ-4cskkG-xXRWm-4cskof-6zqTnn-aFWm1v\">Bloom's Taxonomy<\/a> from the Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University is licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>. Click to view.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nUsing Bloom's Taxonomy to write learning objectives for each chapter can help you keep the level of your textbook consistent (for instance, an introductory textbook aimed at first or second year students may never move past the \"apply\" level) or help you structure your chapters so that they build on each other, moving from a low level to a high level of learning.\r\n<h2>Selecting and Organizing Your Content<\/h2>\r\nMost textbooks follow a specific framework and consistent pattern. One way to think about designing each chapter is with Robert Gagn\u00e9's \"Nine Events of Instruction,\" as described in Gagn\u00e9 et al.'s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/macewan.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01MACEWAN_INST\/va1o2n\/alma991006163739708936\">Principles of Instructional Design<\/a> <\/em>(2005). The \"Nine Events of Instruction\" are as follows:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Gain attention<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Inform the learner of the objectives<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Stimulate the recall of prior learning<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Present the content<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Provide guidance<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Elicit performance (practice)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Provide feedback<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Assess performance<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Enhance retention and transfer of learning<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSimilarly, in his <a href=\"http:\/\/edutechwiki.unige.ch\/en\/Textbook_writing_tutorial\"><em>Textbook Writing Tutorial<\/em><\/a>, Schneider (2008) breaks typical textbook chapter elements into four categories - openers, integrated pedagogical devices, interior features, and closers.\r\n\r\nTypical elements for each of these categories are as follows:\r\n<h3>Opener Elements<\/h3>\r\n<em>Gain the learner's attention, inform the learner of the objectives, and stimulate the recall of prior learning.<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Overviews (or Previews)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Introductions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Outlines (can be in text form, bullets or graphics)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Focus questions (knowledge and comprehension questions)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Learning goals \/ objectives \/ outcomes \/ competences \/ skills<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A case problem or relevant real-world example<\/li>\r\n \t<li>In addition, one may use \"special features\" inside chapters, e.g. vignettes, photos, quotations, ...<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Integrated Pedagogical Devices<\/h3>\r\n<em>Help present the content and provide guidance.<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Emphasis (bold face) of words<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Marginalia that summarize paragraphs<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Lists that highlight main points<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Summary tables and graphics<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Cross-references that link backwards (or sometimes forwards) to important concepts<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Markers to identify embedded subjects (e.g. an \"external\" term used and that needs explanation)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Study and review questions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Pedagogical illustrations (concepts rendered graphically)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Tips (to insure that the learner doesn't get caught in misconceptions or procedural errors)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Reminders (ensuring that something that was previously introduced is remembered)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Interior Features<\/h3>\r\n<em>Provide additional help with understanding\u00a0content.<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Case studies<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Profiles<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Problem descriptions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Debates and reflections<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Primary sources and data<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Models<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Closers<\/h3>\r\n<em>Elicit performance, provide feedback, allow for self-assessment, and enhance retention and transfer of learning.<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Conclusions and summaries<\/li>\r\n \t<li>List of definitions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Reference boxes<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Review questions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Self-assessment (usually simple quizzes)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Small exercises<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Substantial exercises and problem cases<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Fill-in tables (e.g. for \"learning-in-action\" books) to prepare for a real world task<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ideas for projects (academic or real world)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Bibliographies or annotated links<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nPressbooks provides a set of pre-made box features that you can use to structure your chapters:\r\n<div>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Learning Objectives<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Key Takeaways (can be re-labelled as Key Terms)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Exercises (or related items such as Answers, Questions)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nLearn how to use these features in the <a href=\"http:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/style-guide\/#layout\">Layout section of the Style Guide chapter<\/a>.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Consultation on instructional design is available through MacEwan Open Books on a limited basis. Email <a href=\"mailto:digitalscholarship@macewan.ca\">digitalscholarship@macewan.ca<\/a> to discuss your needs.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Using Chapter Prototypes<\/h2>\r\nTraditional textbook publishers often plan out how a textbook will work by developing a chapter prototype. Chapter prototypes\u00a0can\u00a0help you plan and embed instructional and assessment strategies, determine an ideal\u00a0typical\u00a0chapter length, and work out other design features. You will have the opportunity to think through, for instance, how you\u00a0will set apart case studies, or if you want assessment questions at the end of each chapter.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">Visit our chapter on <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/chapter-prototype\/\">Chapter Prototypes<\/a> to see an example of how yours might look.<\/div>\r\nBy creating a full fledged sample chapter you can work out a road map for how you complete the rest of the book, which can be very useful if you have multiple authors working on the project. It also gives you something to show others to promote your project, even when the rest of the textbook is still in progress.\r\n\r\nThe following rules for textbook development provides a simple set of guidelines that can help you review your chapter prototype:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Rule of Frameworks: Maintain a consistent structure<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Rule of Meaningful Names: Create and use consistent titles and terminologies<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Rule of Repetition: Repeat important concepts<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Rule of Hierarchy: New knowledge builds on learned knowledge<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Rule of Manageable Numbers: Limit the amount of new information introduced at one time.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_44\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/10\/BookSprint.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-44\" src=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2026\/01\/BookSprint-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Figure 2.2 shows an infographic image of the five rules of textbook development.\" width=\"500\" height=\"312\" \/><\/a> Figure 2.2 Guidance on textbook development. <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20141230154211\/https:\/\/open.bccampus.ca\/2014\/06\/10\/the-5-rules-of-textbook-development\/\">5 Rules of Textbook Development<\/a> (archived version) is by <a href=\"https:\/\/open.bccampus.ca\/\">BCcampus<\/a> licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY 4.0<\/a> with text from <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikibooks.org\/wiki\/Wikibooks:Textbook_considerations\">Wikibooks<\/a> licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>. Click to view.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>References<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Bates, T. (2015). <em>Writing an online, open textbook: Is it worth it?<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tonybates.ca\/2015\/06\/10\/writing-an-online-open-textbook-is-it-worth-it\">https:\/\/www.tonybates.ca\/2015\/06\/10\/writing-an-online-open-textbook-is-it-worth-it<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Bloom, B. S. (1956).\u00a0<em>Taxonomy of educational objectives<\/em><em>: T<\/em><em>he classification of educational goals<\/em><em>.\u00a0<\/em>David McKay.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Gagn\u00e9, R.M., Wager, W. W., Golas, C. G., &amp; Keller, J. M. (2005). <em>Principles of instructional design<\/em> (5th Ed.). Cengage Learning<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Schneider, D.K. (2008). <em>Textbook writing tutorial<\/em>. <a href=\"http:\/\/edutechwiki.unige.ch\/en\/Textbook_writing_tutorial\">http:\/\/edutechwiki.unige.ch\/en\/Textbook_writing_tutorial<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">Content adapted from \"<a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/planning-your-open-textbook\/\">Planning Your Open Textbook<\/a>\" in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/authorsguide\">Ryerson Open Textbook Authoring Guide<\/a> by Ryerson University and licensed under <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC-BY 4.0<\/a>.<\/div>","rendered":"<p>As a MacEwan instructor, perhaps you have reviewed existing open textbooks and not found one that meets your needs. If you are committed to using open textbooks in your teaching, the next step could be to create your own.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting Started<\/h2>\n<p>Once you have decided to create an open textbook, review the MacEwan Open Books <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/terms-of-use\/\">Terms of Use<\/a> and fill out a <a href=\"https:\/\/macewan.libwizard.com\/f\/openbooks\">Request Form<\/a> to request an account, or contact <a href=\"mailto:digitalscholarship@macewan.ca\">digitalscholarship@macewan.ca<\/a> to discuss whether MacEwan University Library&#8217;s Pressbooks platform is the best fit for your project.<\/p>\n<p>Upon receiving a request for a MacEwan Open Books account, the librarian overseeing the service will be in touch to set up a session with you and any collaborators to discuss your project in more detail and provide an introduction to Pressbooks functionality and features (see: <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/pressbooks-training-checklist\/\">Pressbooks Training Checklist<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h2>Planning Your Open Textbook<\/h2>\n<p>How can you ensure that your textbook is of the greatest utility to students and other instructors? The way you select and organize your content will determine how useful the book will be as an instructional tool.<\/p>\n<p>You may want to develop a workflow for how you will approach the project.<\/p>\n<p>A typical writing workflow could be something like this:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conceptualize \u2192 Outline \u2192 Write \u2192 Review \u2192 Edit \u2192 Publish<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An open textbook production workflow also requires finding and attributing media that is under open copyright licenses, as needed, and making sure that your book is accessible to others. Visit our chapters on <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/using-copyrighted-material\/\">Using Copyrighted Material<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/accessibility-considerations\">Accessibility Considerations<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a detailed workflow of typical open textbook production in <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/\">MacEwan Open Books<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_212\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-212\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2016\/10\/Open-Textbook-Production-Workflow-Aug2024.pdf\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-212 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguidedraft\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2024-08-26-at-9.10.29\u202fPM-1024x585.png#fixme\" alt=\"Image links to a PDF with details about the production workflow: Conceptualize, Outline, Write, Review, Edit, Publish.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-212\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2016\/10\/Open-Textbook-Production-Workflow-Aug2024.pdf\">Click to enlarge<\/a> [PDF]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Setting Learning Objectives<\/h2>\n<p>Before beginning to write, think about planning your book chapters in terms of desired learning objectives. By the end of the chapter, what should students be able to do? Setting learning objectives will help you determine the level of the material, the content you include, and the design of any assessments that might be included at the end of each chapter or section.<\/p>\n<p>Learning objectives for your textbook can be written using Bloom&#8217;s <em>Taxonomy of Educational Objectives<\/em> (1956) as shown in Figure 2.1. The taxonomy has six levels, moving from the least complex type of learning, &#8220;Remember,&#8221; to the most complex, &#8220;Create.&#8221; An effective learning objective will use an appropriate action verb to define the level of learning. For example, &#8220;By the end of this section, learners will be able to <em>organize<\/em> their textbook content according to Bloom&#8217;s Taxonomy of educational objectives.&#8221; By using the verb &#8220;organize,&#8221; the level of learning is set at the &#8220;Analyze&#8221; level of Bloom&#8217;s Taxonomy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_43\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/10\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25\" src=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371.jpg\" alt=\"Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create\" width=\"500\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371.jpg 1269w, https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371-1024x539.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371-768x404.jpg 768w, https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371-65x34.jpg 65w, https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371-225x118.jpg 225w, https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/07\/Bloomtaxonomy-e1445435495371-350x184.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-43\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.1 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/vandycft\/29428436431\/in\/photolist-6sXg9E-LQuqT2-nJehdW-6k6XEr-6bqnHs-edgmHe-aFG3ea-nvTr2H-GwKn4B-2QTyaH-4fD7ga-2yXQU3-c4rV3W-CctES5-aG4nPe-6LJeTh-j5DigX-38zwPr-38E65h-jwnNxQ-4cskkG-xXRWm-4cskof-6zqTnn-aFWm1v\">Bloom&#8217;s Taxonomy<\/a> from the Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University is licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>. Click to view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Using Bloom&#8217;s Taxonomy to write learning objectives for each chapter can help you keep the level of your textbook consistent (for instance, an introductory textbook aimed at first or second year students may never move past the &#8220;apply&#8221; level) or help you structure your chapters so that they build on each other, moving from a low level to a high level of learning.<\/p>\n<h2>Selecting and Organizing Your Content<\/h2>\n<p>Most textbooks follow a specific framework and consistent pattern. One way to think about designing each chapter is with Robert Gagn\u00e9&#8217;s &#8220;Nine Events of Instruction,&#8221; as described in Gagn\u00e9 et al.&#8217;s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/macewan.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01MACEWAN_INST\/va1o2n\/alma991006163739708936\">Principles of Instructional Design<\/a> <\/em>(2005). The &#8220;Nine Events of Instruction&#8221; are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gain attention<\/li>\n<li>Inform the learner of the objectives<\/li>\n<li>Stimulate the recall of prior learning<\/li>\n<li>Present the content<\/li>\n<li>Provide guidance<\/li>\n<li>Elicit performance (practice)<\/li>\n<li>Provide feedback<\/li>\n<li>Assess performance<\/li>\n<li>Enhance retention and transfer of learning<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Similarly, in his <a href=\"http:\/\/edutechwiki.unige.ch\/en\/Textbook_writing_tutorial\"><em>Textbook Writing Tutorial<\/em><\/a>, Schneider (2008) breaks typical textbook chapter elements into four categories &#8211; openers, integrated pedagogical devices, interior features, and closers.<\/p>\n<p>Typical elements for each of these categories are as follows:<\/p>\n<h3>Opener Elements<\/h3>\n<p><em>Gain the learner&#8217;s attention, inform the learner of the objectives, and stimulate the recall of prior learning.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Overviews (or Previews)<\/li>\n<li>Introductions<\/li>\n<li>Outlines (can be in text form, bullets or graphics)<\/li>\n<li>Focus questions (knowledge and comprehension questions)<\/li>\n<li>Learning goals \/ objectives \/ outcomes \/ competences \/ skills<\/li>\n<li>A case problem or relevant real-world example<\/li>\n<li>In addition, one may use &#8220;special features&#8221; inside chapters, e.g. vignettes, photos, quotations, &#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Integrated Pedagogical Devices<\/h3>\n<p><em>Help present the content and provide guidance.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Emphasis (bold face) of words<\/li>\n<li>Marginalia that summarize paragraphs<\/li>\n<li>Lists that highlight main points<\/li>\n<li>Summary tables and graphics<\/li>\n<li>Cross-references that link backwards (or sometimes forwards) to important concepts<\/li>\n<li>Markers to identify embedded subjects (e.g. an &#8220;external&#8221; term used and that needs explanation)<\/li>\n<li>Study and review questions<\/li>\n<li>Pedagogical illustrations (concepts rendered graphically)<\/li>\n<li>Tips (to insure that the learner doesn&#8217;t get caught in misconceptions or procedural errors)<\/li>\n<li>Reminders (ensuring that something that was previously introduced is remembered)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Interior Features<\/h3>\n<p><em>Provide additional help with understanding\u00a0content.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Case studies<\/li>\n<li>Profiles<\/li>\n<li>Problem descriptions<\/li>\n<li>Debates and reflections<\/li>\n<li>Primary sources and data<\/li>\n<li>Models<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Closers<\/h3>\n<p><em>Elicit performance, provide feedback, allow for self-assessment, and enhance retention and transfer of learning.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Conclusions and summaries<\/li>\n<li>List of definitions<\/li>\n<li>Reference boxes<\/li>\n<li>Review questions<\/li>\n<li>Self-assessment (usually simple quizzes)<\/li>\n<li>Small exercises<\/li>\n<li>Substantial exercises and problem cases<\/li>\n<li>Fill-in tables (e.g. for &#8220;learning-in-action&#8221; books) to prepare for a real world task<\/li>\n<li>Ideas for projects (academic or real world)<\/li>\n<li>Bibliographies or annotated links<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pressbooks provides a set of pre-made box features that you can use to structure your chapters:<\/p>\n<div>\n<ol>\n<li>Learning Objectives<\/li>\n<li>Key Takeaways (can be re-labelled as Key Terms)<\/li>\n<li>Exercises (or related items such as Answers, Questions)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Learn how to use these features in the <a href=\"http:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/style-guide\/#layout\">Layout section of the Style Guide chapter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Consultation on instructional design is available through MacEwan Open Books on a limited basis. Email <a href=\"mailto:digitalscholarship@macewan.ca\">digitalscholarship@macewan.ca<\/a> to discuss your needs.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Using Chapter Prototypes<\/h2>\n<p>Traditional textbook publishers often plan out how a textbook will work by developing a chapter prototype. Chapter prototypes\u00a0can\u00a0help you plan and embed instructional and assessment strategies, determine an ideal\u00a0typical\u00a0chapter length, and work out other design features. You will have the opportunity to think through, for instance, how you\u00a0will set apart case studies, or if you want assessment questions at the end of each chapter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">Visit our chapter on <a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/chapter-prototype\/\">Chapter Prototypes<\/a> to see an example of how yours might look.<\/div>\n<p>By creating a full fledged sample chapter you can work out a road map for how you complete the rest of the book, which can be very useful if you have multiple authors working on the project. It also gives you something to show others to promote your project, even when the rest of the textbook is still in progress.<\/p>\n<p>The following rules for textbook development provides a simple set of guidelines that can help you review your chapter prototype:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Rule of Frameworks: Maintain a consistent structure<\/li>\n<li>Rule of Meaningful Names: Create and use consistent titles and terminologies<\/li>\n<li>Rule of Repetition: Repeat important concepts<\/li>\n<li>Rule of Hierarchy: New knowledge builds on learned knowledge<\/li>\n<li>Rule of Manageable Numbers: Limit the amount of new information introduced at one time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/10\/BookSprint.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-44\" src=\"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2026\/01\/BookSprint-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Figure 2.2 shows an infographic image of the five rules of textbook development.\" width=\"500\" height=\"312\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.2 Guidance on textbook development. <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20141230154211\/https:\/\/open.bccampus.ca\/2014\/06\/10\/the-5-rules-of-textbook-development\/\">5 Rules of Textbook Development<\/a> (archived version) is by <a href=\"https:\/\/open.bccampus.ca\/\">BCcampus<\/a> licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY 4.0<\/a> with text from <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikibooks.org\/wiki\/Wikibooks:Textbook_considerations\">Wikibooks<\/a> licensed under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>. Click to view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>References<\/h3>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Bates, T. (2015). <em>Writing an online, open textbook: Is it worth it?<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tonybates.ca\/2015\/06\/10\/writing-an-online-open-textbook-is-it-worth-it\">https:\/\/www.tonybates.ca\/2015\/06\/10\/writing-an-online-open-textbook-is-it-worth-it<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Bloom, B. S. (1956).\u00a0<em>Taxonomy of educational objectives<\/em><em>: T<\/em><em>he classification of educational goals<\/em><em>.\u00a0<\/em>David McKay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Gagn\u00e9, R.M., Wager, W. W., Golas, C. G., &amp; Keller, J. M. (2005). <em>Principles of instructional design<\/em> (5th Ed.). Cengage Learning<\/p>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Schneider, D.K. (2008). <em>Textbook writing tutorial<\/em>. <a href=\"http:\/\/edutechwiki.unige.ch\/en\/Textbook_writing_tutorial\">http:\/\/edutechwiki.unige.ch\/en\/Textbook_writing_tutorial<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">Content adapted from &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/authorsguide\/chapter\/planning-your-open-textbook\/\">Planning Your Open Textbook<\/a>&#8221; in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/authorsguide\">Ryerson Open Textbook Authoring Guide<\/a> by Ryerson University and licensed under <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC-BY 4.0<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-27","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-standard"],"part":24,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/27","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/27\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":181,"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/27\/revisions\/181"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/24"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/27\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=27"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=27"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openbooks.macewan.ca\/authorsguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=27"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}