Introduction
We’re so glad that you’re working to expand the wide world of OER English composition materials. As you know, composition is a very rewarding subject to teach, as it can be approached so many ways. This variety means that though many OER materials already exist for composition, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution in place. Even if you find a template course you admire, you’re likely to need to do at least some customization to fit your school, your program, and your students.
Let’s Talk!
We invite you to share in the collaboration and wisdom-sharing of the OER community. Slack is a free, easy-to-use tool for communication and collaboration. It offers channels for group conversations on specific topics, including the “English” channel for composition and literature. You can also send direct messages to individuals or groups. Use it from any computer or mobile device.
Resources
Lumen Courses
Lumen offers several template courses that can serve as starting points for your own development. You can mix, match, and adapt anything from the courses below quite easily.
Composition Template Courses
- English Composition I – standard catalog course, arranged by rhetorical modes. Links out to reading assignments.
- English Composition I – version developed by Lumen, curating existing OER content and creating new content where needed, particularly a richly-developed grammar section with practice exercises. Every section offers embedded formative self-check quizzes. Assignments available to partner with each section. Content is fairly high-level and might also be appropriate for inclusion in a Comp II course.
- English Composition II – standard catalog course. Developed from Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative.
- English Composition II – from Saylor University
Adaptations for specific programs
- English Composition I at Ivy Tech Community College
- English Composition I at John Tyler Community College
- English Composition I at Northern Virginia Community College
Ancillary Resources
- Guide to Writing (a style manual)
- Reading Anthology Collection I
- Reading Anthology Collection II – curated with developmental courses and Comp I in mind
ATD Information
This section provides support for faculty and course developers involved with the Achieving the Dream OER Degree Initiative.
Currently 27 institutions have included Composition I courses in their course plans; 24 institutions have included Composition II.
FAQ
- If I see something I like in another text and want to add it to my open text shell, how do I do that?
- Submit a support request at http://support.lumenlearning.com. Be sure to let us know your name, institution, the course you’re editing, and what you’d like to add. The more details you include, the more help it is to get the process done quickly for you!
- Can I share this web text with anyone?
- Yes! The URL for your course text is a live web document, and you can send the link to anyone who might be interested.
