Open Educational Resources

Open educational resources are course materials that anyone can freely retain, revise, remix, reuse and redistribute.

The following lists include examples of OERs for subjects taught at the University. They are by no means comprehensive.

You can also search the suggested platforms listed throughout this guide or contact the Library's Learning Support team for help.

Textbooks

Chemistry of cooking
This book is intended to give students a basic understanding of the chemistry involved in cooking such as caramelization, Maillard reaction, acid-base reactions, catalysis, and fermentation. CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) license.
Crop wild relatives and their use in plant breeding
Book covers the domestication of food crops and explains how crop wild relatives offer genetic diversity to genebanks and breeding programs. Includes case studies. Collaboration between the Colorado State University and United States Department of Agriculture. Public Domain.
Human nutrition, 2020 edition
Introductory textbook covering the basic concepts in human nutrition. Includes key information about essential nutrients, basic nutritional assessment, and nutrition across the lifespan. CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution) license.
Introduction to permaculture
Introductory text aimed to mainstream knowledge and discussion about permaculture design and principles. CC BY-NC (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial) license.
Nutrition: science and everyday application
Book covering basic nutrition and metabolism, information literacy, energy balance, nutrition across life stages, dietary supplements. It takes an in-depth look at each of the macronutrients, and the major functions of vitamins and minerals. CC BY-NC (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial) license.
Plant anatomy and physiology: images and diagrams to explain concepts
Book created to support teaching an introductory unit on plant environmental physiology at Charles Darwin University. It makes use of various images of cells and tissues to introduce and illustrate the range of plant organelles, cells, tissues and organs. CC BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike) license.
Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist Identify Plant and Plant Requirements
Introductory textbook for horticulture students studying plant identification which includes videos and interactive content. CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution) license.
Soils Laboratory Manuel
Manuel designed for introductory undergraduate soil science courses. Instructor version available on request. Site also includes photo sets and annotated bibliography for soil and water conservation. CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) license.

Supplementary resources

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Agency leading international efforts to defeat hunger, and improve nutrition and food security. Site includes a variety of resources including news, publications, interactive stories and data. Terms of use allow reuse for non-commercial teaching purposes. Individual resources may have separate license.
Sustainable agriculture and its implementation in Hong Kong
Case study that introduces the main goals and principles of sustainable agriculture. CC BY-NC (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial) license.
Virtual Soil Science Learning Resources
Site featuring web-based learning resources and online courses to enhance soil science education. Tool and courses developed address 4 topics: basic soil science principles; soil classification; land-use and impacts on soil quality; and raising awareness about soil as an important natural resource. CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) license.
VITAL: an interactive guide to the effects of VITamins * minerALs in the body systems
Interactive resource from VirginiaTech showing the impact normal, deficient and toxic levels of vitamins and minerals can have on the human body. CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives) license.
Which winegrape varieties are grown where? Revised edition
Book published by the University of Adelaide Press. It charts exactly what varieties of grapes are grown in which regions of the world allowing readers to follow major planting trends. Underlying data is available for further research. CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution) license.

Courses

Food and the future environment
Open course ware from Penn State University which includes syllabus, assignments and modules. Topics covered include: history of food systems; environmental dynamics and drivers; systems approaches to managing food systems; and sustainability. CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) license.
The psychology, biology and politics of food
Course from Yale University that discussed topics such as sustainable agriculture, organic farming, genetically modified foods, and nutrition policy. Includes syllabus and lecture recordings. CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike) license.
The science of alcohol
Course from the Open University that covers the processes involved in the creation of alcoholic drinks - how they are produced, how the wide range of flavours are generated and how scientists ensure the safety of what we drink. CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) license.