Open Educational Resources
Open Pedagogy and Library Publishing Project.
Check out our collection of OER reviews written by UTRGV faculty via Open Educational Resources - Reviews
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Borderlands Course Reader, Volume One
Jamie Starling
This collection compiles primary source documents and narratives from the present-day U.S.-Mexico Borderlands Region from c.1500 to 1865. The collection is designed for use with U.S. History and Mexican American surveys as well as Texas history and U.S.-Mexico Borderlands history courses. A few documents are abridged or excerpted from longer sources. All sources contain a citation or link to a source at the foot of the document. Documents span from indigenous accounts and sources of early contact through the late Spanish colonial period, era of Mexican independence, U.S. expansion and the American Civil War.
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Building My Professional Identity
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. College of Health Professions Student Success Team, Suad Ghaddar, Keri Gonzalez, Murat Karabulut, Amparo Jaramillo, Fidencio Mercado, Zelma D. Mata, Blanca Robles, Sonya Salinas, and Manuel Zavala
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Cost Analysis of Adsorption based Air Capture of CO2
Mona Muzammil, Muzammil Arshad, and Muazzam Arshad
Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and conversion to value added products, such as chemicals, polymers, and carbon-based fuels represents a promising approach to transform a potential threat to the environment into a value-added product for long term sustainability. Emerging Carbon Capture Technologies: Towards a Sustainable Future provides a multidisciplinary view of the research that is being carried out in this field, covering materials and processes for CO2 capture and utilization and including a broad discussion of the impact of novel technologies in carbon capture on the energy landscape, society and climate. Of interest to students, researchers and professionals in industries related to greenhouse gas mitigation, post-combustion CO2 capture processes, coal-fired power plants, environmental sustainability, green solvents, green technologies, and the utilization of clean energy for environmental protection, this book covers both the experimental and theoretical aspects of novel materials and process development providing a holistic approach toward a sustainable energy future.
Cost Analysis of adsorption based direct air capture of CO2 using porous sorbents, especially porous polymer networks (PPNs) provide a thorough, non-specialist introduction to technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels during power generation and other energy-intensive industrial processes, such as steelmaking. Extensively revised and updated, this second edition provides detailed coverage of key carbon dioxide capture methods along with an examination of the most promising techniques for carbon storage.
The book opens with an introductory section that provides background regarding the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an overview of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, and a primer in the fundamentals of power generation. Chapters focus on key carbon capture technologies, including absorption, adsorption, and membrane-based systems, addressing their applications in both the power and non-power sectors.
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Destins de femmes: French Women Writers, 1750-1850
John C. Isbell
Destins de femmes is the first comprehensive overview of French women writers during the turbulent period of 1750-1850. John Isbell provides an essential collection that illuminates the impact women writers had on French literature and politics during a time marked by three revolutions, the influx of Romantic art, and rapid technological change. Each of the book’s thirty chapters introduces a prominent work by a different female author writing in French during the period, from Germaine de Staël to George Sand, from the admired salon libertine Marie du Deffand to Flora Tristan, tireless campaigner for socialism and women’s rights. Isbell draws from multi-genre writers working in prose, poetry and correspondence and addresses the breadth of women’s contribution to the literature of the age. Isbell also details the important events which shaped the writers’ lives and contextualises their work amidst the liberties both given and taken away from women during the period. This anthology fills a significant gap in the secondary literature on this transformative century, which often overlooks women who were working and active. It invites a further gendered investigation of the impact of revolution and Romanticism on the content and nature of French women’s writing, and will therefore be appropriate for both general readers, students, and academics analysing history and literature through a feminist lens.
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Early Events in Diabetic Retinopathy and Intervention Strategies
Andrew Tsin and Jeffery Grigsby
The development of diabetic retinopathy is a long slow process affected by hyperglycemia, hypertension, lipid levels and genetics. It is expected that in 20 years' duration nearly all those with diabetes will exhibit diabetic retinopathy. In some patients, it will progress to blindness. While the number of individuals with diabetes increases, our current treatments are only effective at advanced levels of disease. Further, our screening methods to detect those needing treatment are currently not optimal. Early Events in Diabetic Retinopathy and Intervention Strategies covers topics addressing imaging processes currently available in the development of diabetic retinopathy screening. Potential biomarkers, that may be used to identify those at risk and illuminate the new pathways which lead to diabetic retinopathy, are expounded.
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ENG 3360 - Introduction to Language Studies
Régine Pellicer
Language studies cover a large variety of situations as language is embedded in every aspect of our lives. Finding a book that would study all the possible topics related to language is impossible. Therefore, with our UTRGV librarians, we have assembled a free book that covers the basic linguistics concepts you need to know for this course and other linguistics courses. Linguistics concepts such as phonology or language acquisition are not subject to last minute discoveries and the principles remain the same. We hope you enjoy learning more about linguistics thanks to this free resource.
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Introductory Chemistry
Mona Muzammil
Introductory Chemistry, this edition is designed for a one-semester, introductory or preparatory chemistry course. Students taking this course need to develop problem-solving skills-but they also must see why these skills are important to them and to their world. Introductory Chemistry extends chemistry from the laboratory to the student's world. It motivates students to learn chemistry by demonstrating how it plays out in their daily lives.
This book draws students into the course through engagement and building their foundational knowledge – while introducing new content and resources to help students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. allowing students flexibility and ensuring a fully supported learning experience.
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Peace with Painful Memories
Mona Muzammil, Muzammil Arshad, and Washain Muzammil
This Book helps you identify and heal from childhood emotional neglect so you can be more connected and emotionally present in your life.
Do you sometimes feel like you’re just going through the motions in life? Do you often act like you’re fine when you secretly feel lonely and disconnected? Perhaps you have a good life and yet somehow, it’s not enough to make you happy. Or perhaps you drink too much, eat too much, or risk too much to feel something good. If so, you are not alone and you may be suffering from emotional neglect.
Are you one of the countless people who grew up with emotionally immature parents? If you suffer from this troubling parent/child dynamic, you may still recall painful moments from your childhood when your emotional needs were not met, when your feelings were dismissed, or when you took on adult levels of maturity to “compensate” for your parents’ behavior. And while you likely cultivated strengths such as self-reliance and independence along the way strengths that have served you well as an adult having to be the emotionally mature person in your relationship with your parent is confusing and even damaging. If you are ready to gain the insight you need to move on from feelings of loneliness and abandonment and find healthy ways to meet your own emotional needs, this book will help light the way.
Post-traumatic stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, substance abuse, depression, a lack of confidence and many other mental and physical ailments may be a result of childhood trauma you have endured. Uncovering, accepting, and healing this childhood trauma will allow you to let go of the pain, releasing yourself from the guilt, shame, and self-destruction you have been living with. This book will provide you with tools and strategies to heal your childhood trauma allowing you to live fully.
- Pinpoint the areas of struggle in your life now that reflect the childhood trauma you endured
- Tackle limitations by learning how childhood trauma can be healed and forgiven
- Strategize an effective plan that will take you from struggle to success
- Discover hands-on strategies and plans to heal, recover, and let go of the limits imposed on your daily living due to childhood trauma
This innovative volume is an important contribution to the literature on the impact of violence and abuse on the lives and health of its survivors. It will be of interest to students and researchers from a range of disciplines and professions, including social work, gender studies, sociology, social policy, psychology, counselling, mental health, public health, medicine and nursing.
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Pedagogy and its Effects in Students’ Mental Health
Mona Muzammil, Muzammil Arshad, and Washain Muzammil
The mental health of students has become one of the top concerns in higher education. The number of students reporting distress and seeking services has dramatically increased, and colleges and universities are struggling to address these challenges. A rich and growing body of research documents the scope of the problem and potential interventions to address it, but this literature is scattered across a variety of academic fields. This Book aims to bring coherence to this large volume of information through a detailed review of programs, services, practices, and policies that influence student mental health. The Book is organized around a socioecological framework, considering interventions at the individual, interpersonal, community, institutional, and public policy levels. It highlights strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the evidence.
Mental illness is common and can affect anyone. Each year the University welcomes students with Mental Health Issues. One in four adults in the US will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, however according to a NUS survey, eight out of ten students will experience a mental illness while in higher education. For some student’s mental illness can be a lifelong disability. Others can experience short term issues that emerge around difficult or stressful life events, while some students may be more at risk of experiencing mental illness in relation to their ethnicity, gender, sexuality or socio-economic background. Although attitudes to mental illness have improved significantly in recent years there remains a certain amount of stigma around the issue. Stigma can often be experienced in less obvious ways such as social exclusion, unkind jokes and fear around disclosure affecting academic progression. Although each student's needs may differ, there are many general strategies that can enable effective teaching and learning.
You can address disability and mental health through curriculum design to create a more inclusive learning environment. The approaches highlighted here include innovative approaches to group work, original evaluation and assessment approaches, and an innovative use of technology in the classroom. Access practiced through these approaches ensures that all students benefit from these considered and pedagogically-sound teaching methods.
This is not to say that academics need to become mental health experts Instead, our analysis reveals that most students’ recommendations were appropriately related to fundamental teacher attributes and skills.
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Reflexiones sobre nuestra lengua
Yanina Hernández and José Esteban Hernández
Reflexiones sobre nuestra lengua se compone de ocho unidades temáticas pertinentes a la realidad social de los hablantes de español como lengua de herencia en los Estados Unidos. Además de enfocarse en la escritura como un proceso, se enfatiza el desarrollo de una conciencia sociolingüística y crítica del lenguaje en esta población estudiantil.
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School Social Work 238 Exam Preparation: Resources and Handouts
Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Tiffany Nelson, Brenda Coble-Lindsey, Annette Johnson, and Giesela Grumbach
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Teaching with Pedagogy and Empathy
Mamoona Muzammil, Muzammil Arshad, and Washain Muzammil
Mental illness is common and can affect anyone. Each year the University welcomes students with Mental Health Issues. One in four adults in the US will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, however according to a NUS survey, eight out of ten students will experience a mental illness while in higher education. For some student’s mental illness can be a lifelong disability. Others can experience short term issues that emerge around difficult or stressful life events, while some students may be more at risk of experiencing mental illness in relation to their ethnicity, gender, sexuality or socio-economic background. Although attitudes to mental illness have improved significantly in recent years there remains a certain amount of stigma around the issue. Stigma can often be experienced in less obvious ways such as social exclusion, unkind jokes and fear around disclosure affecting academic progression. Although each student's needs may differ, there are many general strategies that can enable effective teaching and learning.
You can address disability and mental health through curriculum design to create a more inclusive learning environment. The approaches highlighted here include innovative approaches to group work, original evaluation and assessment approaches, and an innovative use of technology in the classroom. Access practiced through these approaches ensures that all students benefit from these considered and pedagogically-sound teaching methods.
This is not to say that academics need to become mental health experts Instead, our analysis reveals that most students’ recommendations were appropriately related to fundamental teacher attributes and skills.
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University Students Suicide in US: Issue that needs attention and Prevention
Mona Muzammil, Washain Muzammil, and Muzammil Arshad
Here is the first single book to exclusively address this tragic behavior. From the foreword by Dr. Mamoona Muzammil to the final conclusions and recommendations, College Student Suicide serves as both a primer and a state-of-the-art volume on youth suicide in the higher education setting. Experts provide important data on suicide, examine the risk factors for suicide, and explore preventive interventions and the delivery of other necessary services. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 18-24. What is not always captured by this statistic is the strong emotional impact that suicide has on young people who are losing peers, friends, partners, and siblings to suicide and mental health issues. We are in a mental health crisis. There needs to be a change in the way we approach suicide and mental health, particularly on college campuses. But where do we start? I’m Fine: A Student Perspective on Suicide and Mental Health on College Campuses takes an in-depth look into what schools can be doing right now to positively impact the well-being of their students. In this book, the author shares detailed research and insights from nearly 20 leaders across the country who dedicate their lives to preventing suicide and promoting mental health. At its core, I’m Fine helps to decrease stigma, break stereotypes, provide psychoeducation, and increase conversations around mental health, enabling students to answer the question “How are you doing?” with more than a cursory “I’m Fine.” The author provides a framework and solutions to suicide prevention and improved student mental health that university leaders can incorporate on their campuses. This book can change your life, the life of a loved one, and the lives of college students across the world. Suicide is a complex, multifactorial phenomenon that is difficult to understand and accept, affecting a significant and growing number of the world's population. However, it is permeated by taboos and prejudices that lack confidentiality, and discussion. There is a need to demystify misconceptions surrounding the phenomenon and raise awareness about it, enabling the identification of risk factors, provide reception and direct the person to appropriate treatment. Highly valuable reading for the entire college or university community, this major new book is particularly recommended for college and university faculty and administrators, residence hall directors, residence assistants, health center staff, parents of college students, and students themselves.
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Youth in Danger and Students at Risk of Dropping Out
Mamoona Muzammil and Muzammil Arshad
Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youth that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm. Bullying can lead to fear of school, absenteeism, and stunted academic progress, which in turn are precursors to dropping out of school.
- Effects of Bullying on Students Long lasting effects
- School Dropout.
- Lack of Concentration
- Reduced Motivation
- Less Class Participation
- Less Attendance Lower Academic Achievement
Student Dropouts
The increase in dropout rates in higher education is a phenomenon that has generated a lot of interest because of the need to deal with its economic, personal, and social consequences, and because of its prevalence, estimated around 30% in America. There is a similar interest in violent behavior in university classrooms, which has also been seen to have increased in recent years. Given that, and the fact that Book has shown personal variables to be more influential in dropout from higher education, the aim of this study is to explore whether those students who are the victims of bullying (both traditional and cyberbullying) are closer to dropping out from their degree courses. The results showed that students who were victims of bullying were more likely to consider dropping out than students who were not victims of bullying. In addition, variables related to social integration (support from friends and teachers) exhibited a moderating effect. These findings raise the urgent need to include intervention strategies in relation to bullying in university plans to prevent dropout. Higher education as we know it has now and forever dramatically changed. Leaders must take a fresh look at how their institutions design, implement, and measure practices in strategic enrollment management and expand the model, as never before.
Higher Education on the Brink: Reimagining Strategic Enrollment Management in Colleges and Universities combines strategies for enrollment enhancement with significant support for development of alternative revenue streams for overall sustainability and growth. It introduces a new model for launching highly engaged strategic planning processes for colleges and universities.
With current, real-world examples, the book details how colleges can be guided by integrated strategic planning processes to recalibrate efforts that yield key results. The major difference in this work is an exacting focus on organizational culture and each facet that defines it. As colleges and universities place new focus on strategically re-imagining higher education and their role in it, Higher Education on the Brink will serve as a guide for determining what difficult questions need to be asked and how to answer those questions in a manner that will position the college for the future with support from the college community, generating increased opportunities for student and operational success.
