I will present my experience writing OER textbooks on Spanish and Latin American culture, Civilización hispanoamericana and Civilización española (work in progress), currently used in the civilization courses that I have taught almost every semester since 2001. The presentation will include some of the ways that the SUNY System has suppported the development and adoption of OER materials. The presentation will emphasize that the web-based format of an OER book allows frequent revisions, meaning that it facilitates continuous improvement of the instructor's pedagogy as well as fine-tuning the content and level of the book to meet the needs of our changing populations of students. Part of the pedagogical improvement derived from creating these OER materials has included integrating more interactive elements, which encourages the students to explore the material further and go beyond just memorizing facts. The presentation will describe how I came to write these OER textbooks and how I have been revising them; I will demonstrate the features of my textbook and will also lead attendees through a series of thought experiments and interactions to see how they can integrate this approach to OER in their own educational practice.
