CUNY is off on Friday 2/12, so we’re publishing early this week!

New and Noteworthy is the City Tech Library OER Team’s weekly roundup of new and noteworthy OER. We try to include at least one OER relevant to each school at City Tech in every post. At the end of the month, these resources will be compiled and distributed by the library liaison for your department. Please contact us if you know of new or particularly interesting OER to share with our colleagues or would like more information about OER initiatives at City Tech. 

Arts & Sciences 

1. Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Religion, by Beau Branson and Christina Hendricks (2020). License: CC BY.
   “Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Religion introduces some of the major traditional arguments for and against the existence of God, as well as some less well-known, but thought-provoking arguments for the existence of God, and one of the most important new challenges to religious belief from the Cognitive Science of Religion. An introductory chapter traces the connection between philosophy and religion throughout Western history, and a final chapter addresses the place of non-Western and non-monotheistic religions within contemporary philosophy of religion.”

2. Film Appreciation, by Yelizaveta Moss and Candice Wilson, University of North Georgia (2021). License: CC BY.
   “Since the early 1900s, filmmakers and theorists have argued over the question of what differentiates film from the other arts of literature, painting, theater and photography. Film, also known as cinema, or movies, refers not just to moving images and the telling of stories, but also to the celluloid or film stock upon which these moving images were printed. For well over a century, film has profoundly impacted our world and the ways in which we perceive ourselves and others. However, we have also had an impact upon the medium. Surrounded as we are in society by a constant barrage of images from television, cell phone and compu­ter screens to digital ad screens in subways, department stores and airports, moving images have become so ubiquitous that we fail to recognize how trained we already are in reading images. We often neglect to give these images the careful, critical consideration they require to develop an appreciation for their construction, and the different kinds of audiovisual expe­riences in which they invite us to participate.”

Professional Studies

1. Intermediate Microeconomics, by Patrick M. Emerson, Oregon State University (2019). License: CC BY-NC-SA.
   “Intermediate Microeconomics is a comprehensive microeconomic theory text that uses real world policy questions to motivate and illustrate the material in each chapter. Intermediate Microeconomics is an approachable yet rigorous textbook that covers the entire scope of traditional microeconomic theory and includes two mathematical approaches, allowing instructors to teach the material with or without calculus. With real-world policy topics as an entree into each subject, Intermediate Microeconomics will help students engage with the material and facilitate learning not only the concepts, but their importance and application as well.”
   
   
2. Design for Learning: Principles, Processes, and Praxis, by Jason K. McDonald and Richard E. West, EdTech Books (2021). License: CC BY-NC.
   “Our purpose in this book is twofold. First, we introduce the basic skill set and knowledge base used by practicing instructional designers. We do this through chapters contributed by experts in the field who have either academic, research-based backgrounds, or practical, on-the-job experience (or both). Our goal is that students in introductory instructional design courses will be able to use this book as a guide for completing a basic instructional design project. We also hope the book is useful as a ready resource for more advanced students or others seeking to develop their instructional design knowledge and skills.”

Technology & Design

1. IoT Use Cases and Technologies, by F. John Dian and Reza Vahidnia, British Columbia Institute of Technology (2020). License: CC BY-NC-SA.
   “The phrase “Internet of Things” (IoT) alludes to the billions of physical devices connected to the Internet in order to exchange raw data and analyze the information. This book introduces the IoT use cases and technologies. It uses practical examples to demonstrate the effect of IoT and its potential to change our world, and it discusses the existing wired and wireless communication technologies that have enabled IoT. The book also includes multiple choice and review questions to support student learning and reflection.”
   
   
2. Programming Fundamentals, by Hyesung ParkNa’el Abu-halawehSonal S. DekhaneWei JinRobert LutzRichard W. PriceTacksoo Im, Affordable Learning Georgia (2021). License: CC BY.
   “With resources and examples for Java basics such as variables, loops, and object oriented programming, this text provides a foundation in Java programming for introductory-level programming courses. Programming Fundamentals has built-in engagement and interaction including the following: Java Tutor Visualizations, Video Tutorials, External Resource Links, and Chapter Exercises.”

Cailean Cooney, Assistant Professor, OER Librarian: ccooney@citytech.cuny.edu
Joshua Peach, Adjunct Reference & OER Librarian: jpeach@citytech.cuny.edu
Joanna Thompson, Adjunct OER Librarian: jthompson@citytech.cuny.edu