A Student-Created, Open Access, Living Textbook | Galarza | Chemical Engineering Education

Abstract: "Textbooks are expensive, updated infrequently, and rarely used effectively by students. We discuss here a way for students to create the textbook for the course, helping them feel ownership over the course material. This Wiki-based, student-created textbook is online free for use, widely accessible by all, and editable during the course of and as topics evolve. This type of textbook format is particularly well suited to upper-level electives on topics that are rapidly emerging. We have nucleated a studentcreated textbook here, fully online and open access, for two upper elective courses in chemical engineering. Wikis offer an easy-to-learn platform that does not require previous training in coding, and we have found it to be an excellent way to increase student learning while encouraging student buy-in and ownership of their course textbook."