A Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) business instructor has created a free audio textbook for students — a first for the university.
Brad Anderson, an instructor at the Melville School of Business, made an audio version of his open-access digital textbook, Developing Organizational and Managerial Wisdom, to reduce barriers to education.
“The students of the 2020s face a wide range of barriers. Many of them work long hours, suffer from mental health issues, struggle with culture shock if coming from abroad, and are still transitioning from the sequestered educational experience of the Covid years to the hybrid landscape of today,” he says.
Anderson, who is chair of the Entrepreneurial Leadership program, says creating an audiobook to complement his written textbook was a natural application of the principles of Universal Design for Learning, giving students options in accessing course material.
“We intuitively know having more options to access learning material reduces barriers. How many of us lack the time or disposition to spend an evening reading a book, and so instead listen to an audiobook version as we drive to work? Having options is empowering.”
Developing Organizational and Managerial Wisdom presents the results of research into the dynamics of values, rationality, and power in organizations. It provides readers insights and frameworks to understand the actions of others within their environment.
It's the first audiobook in a growing library of open education resources at KPU. It serves as a resource for students at Melville School of Business and other institutions of higher education around the world.
Not only do audio options expand the reach of an author’s work, but they can help modern-day students succeed despite jam-packed schedules, says Anderson.
“The life of a student is very different today than it was for me when I was in university. Back then we worked very little, maybe for a few hours on the weekend, and approached our studies as a full-time job. But very few people have that privileged position where you can take four or more years away from earning income while paying for tuition and books.”
KPU is already a leader in Canada in providing open educational resources to students. Adding audio versions make these resources even more accessible, and expand their reach and impact, says Leeann Waddington, Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning.
“Audiobooks present another meaningful opportunity for students to engage with textbooks, further adding to the inclusive, sustainable, and sharable benefits of open educational resources,” she says. “We look forward to assisting more instructors in creating audio versions of their work.”