Open educational resources (OER) offer the rare opportunity for something to be both free and instructionally valuable to students. University-level introductory Earth science courses are frequently high‑enrollment, general‑education classes dominated by non‑majors, and as a result, the high price of commercial textbooks can create meaningful inequities in access and engagement. Students often express frustration or resentment at being required to purchase an expensive textbook for a course unlikely to count toward their major, especially when contemporary textbook models come with low resale value or provide only temporary online access with no resale option. When students delay or avoid purchasing the textbook due to cost, their ability to participate fully in course activities and develop foundational geoscience understanding is compromised.
To address these challenges, I adapted a free, openly licensed Earth science textbook tailored specifically to the needs of introductory‑level college learners. The resource is intentionally designed to add value for a broad student audience by supporting active-learning strategies, increasing student preparedness, and reducing hidden educational costs that disproportionately affect first‑generation, low‑income, and non-major students.
This poster will describe the motivations and pedagogical considerations that informed the textbook's development, along with early observations from implementation in introductory courses. Features such as updated visuals, embedded comprehension checks, and the ability for instructors to revise or adapt content illustrate how OER can offer adaptable course materials while providing students with improved learning support, again highlighting how a no-cost resource can offer meaningful educational benefits.
Attendees will be invited to provide feedback on content coverage, clarity, usability, and opportunities for future enhancement. This collaborative input will guide the next edition of the textbook and contribute to broader conversations about the role of OER in strengthening geoscience education. The current edition of the textbook is freely available at https://doi.org/10.21061/introearthscience2e.