Student Success Textbooks
Business Writing Style Guide
Contributors: Morris and Zwart
Publisher: Oregon State University
It is the goal of this book to help students do the following:
(1 review)
Bridges: United States Academia for First-Generation and International College Students
Contributor: Higgins
Publisher: North Broad Press
Bridges introduces students to a wide range of concepts, institutions, histories, and artifacts of United States college and university life. After discussing these items in easy-to-scan, concise, nuance-free prose, this textbook then offers useful lists, templates for writing and speaking in different discourses and situations, thought-provoking questions and activities for self-study and for classroom work, and pertinent hyperlinks for further information. Bridges is designed to help first-generation, first-year, English language learners, and/or culturally unfamiliarized students more fully and successfully explore their educational environments. By using this book, students will be better prepared for the academic and social challenges of successfully undertaking higher education in English.
(2 reviews)
Technical Writing @ SLCC
Publisher: Salt Lake Community College
What is technical writing? You can think of it as writing about specialized topics or you could also think of it as using technology to communicate your ideas. A science lab report, a specification, a change order for building construction, or patient education materials–just to name a few–are all considered technical writing. Similarly if you design a webpage or a brochure this can also be considered technical writing. Academic writing, the writing you do for school, generally is informative or persuasive writing and usually only comes in a few different genres. In technical writing, on the other hand, one is often documenting what was done (such as a science experiment or auto repair invoice). Therefore the format of the writing is often as important as the content. This leads to an emphasis on usability and accessibility for your documents. Finally, although citing your sources is important in all writing, you will find that in some fields of technical writing, such as the sciences and engineering, it is one of the more important considerations of your writing.
(2 reviews)
Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships
Contributors: Wrench, Punyanunt-Carter, and Thweatt
Publisher: Open SUNY
Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships helps readers examine their own one-on-one communicative interactions using a mindfulness lens. The writing team of Jason S. Wrench, Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, and Katherine Thweatt incorporates the latest communication theory and research to help students navigate everyday interpersonal interactions. The 14 chapters in this book cover topics typically taught in an undergraduate interpersonal communication course: family interactions, interpersonal dynamics, language, listening, nonverbal communication, and romantic relationships, as well as exploring emerging areas such as self-compassion, body positivity, friendships, and “the dark side”. The writing takes on a purposefully informal tone to engage readers. Each chapter is broken into different sections that have unique instructional outcomes, key takeaways, and exercises, and concludes with real-world case studies and sample quiz questions. Also included is an extensive glossary with over 350 definitions.
(8 reviews)
Doing Research
Contributor: Brinkerhoff
Publisher: Kwantlen Polytechnic University
A modules-based approach to learning research skills that emphasizes the reflective nature of information discovery, the contextual basis for evaluating that information, and a recognition that information has value.
(6 reviews)
University 101: Study, Strategize and Succeed
Publisher: Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Welcome to university! Whether this is your first time in post-secondary education, or whether you are returning to studies, you’re arriving with some goals you want to achieve. Perhaps you are taking a focused program to lead you into your desired career. Perhaps you are exploring courses in different areas, providing a foundation for future specialization. Wherever you are in your journey, you find yourself in a learning environment that is different from one you have experienced before.
(4 reviews)
Succeeding at Your Internship: A Handbook Written for and with Students
Contributors: Mruk and Moor
Publisher: Bowling Green State University Libraries
There are several textbooks for students whose majors include internships in human services, broadly defined, such as case management, counseling, criminal justice, and social work. Most of these books are written in an academic format. Typically, it involves an introduction to a theoretical orientation that concerns working with others followed by a series of chapters devoted to learning professional skills associated with a given discipline. This approach is fine, as far as it goes, but also has two drawbacks. One is that the texts are usually sold by main stream publishers, which means they are expensive. Another is that they seldom address what might be described as the experiential dimension of the internship that most beginners face on their own. This new book addresses both concerns. The fact that it is offered as a free text addresses the first issue, of course, but the second one requires a new approach. It began with asking students to talk about what they experienced when going through their first internship and what they would tell others about how to make it a successful one. That work led to a structured narrative about basic practical topics, such as finding an internship, getting started there, making effective use of supervision, understanding ethics, appreciating cultural diversity, becoming competent, and completing the internship. The text includes descriptions, suggestions, and exercises. It may be used as either a primary course text or, due to its relative brevity, a supplemental one. Although the lead editor is an experienced clinician and professor who has supervised internships for a variety of human services majors over many years, the book was written with and for students to make it more readable and more useful.
(4 reviews)
College Success
Contributors: Baldwin, August, and Bennett
Publisher: OpenStax
OpenStax College Success is a comprehensive and contemporary resource that serves First Year Experience, Student Success, and College Transition courses. Developed with the support of hundreds of faculty and coordinators, the book addresses the evolving challenges and opportunities of today’s diverse students. Engagement, self-analysis, personal responsibility, and student support are reflected throughout the material. College Success also includes an array of student surveys and opinion polls, and OpenStax will regularly provide the results to adopting faculty.
(8 reviews)
A Short Handbook for writing essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Contributors: Allosso and Allosso
Publisher: Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project
A retired master teacher of English and Comparative Literature teams up with his son, a History professor, on a new version of the writing manual he wrote and used for decades at the University of California, Davis.
(6 reviews)
No Limits
Contributor: at Arlington
Publisher: Mavs Open Press
Student Success and First Year Experience are learning community courses at UTA that teach new students academic success skills to aid their transition to college. The goal of the courses is to help students identify their individual needs, determine what resources are appropriate, recognize the faculty role in their development, and formulate a plan for an actively engaged and enriched experience from campus to career. The courses will be taught by Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) and faculty, staff and/or graduate students to provide guidance, raise awareness and understanding of students' majors and help support collaborative and co-curricular opportunities available within the School/College. This open educational resource is the required textbook for both courses.
(3 reviews)