Open Source Textbook For Computer Literacy? 95
dcollins writes "The college where I work has decided to forego ordering a textbook for the computer class that I teach this fall. Does anyone know of a free, open-source textbook for basic computer literacy concepts (overview of hardware, software, operating systems, and file systems)?"
Free and easy (Score:3, Informative)
First, there's Wikibooks http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page [wikibooks.org] which includes a large number of references, but the quality isn't always superb.
Then, there's Flat World http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/ [flatworldknowledge.com] (A relatively new, growing site) that contains not as numerous titles as Wikibooks, but the writing is thorough and usually better than the textbooks themselves. The big downside to Flat World is that in your case (since it's still developing), it doesn't contain a computer science section, but it's being worked on and is expected to be released soon.
Though I have not personally used Wikibooks and Flat World extensively, I've heard from others that they're amazing resources.
You're asking the wrong question (Score:3, Informative)
"Does anyone know of a free, open-source textbook for basic computer literacy concepts (overview of hardware, software, operating systems, and file systems)?"
Physical books don't have source code. :D It sounds like you are looking for a "creative commons license" for a text that covers the aforementioned. However, those licenses are "free as in beer, not free as in freedom", to quote an old adage. There are write-ups on the various topics, but I haven't seen a book published under any kind of open license available in print. You may have to do what many instructors do -- which is create a workbook instead with various works. If you're looking to create a curriculum, I'd look past just text books. Take this for example; It's a short video with some of these concepts covered.
Google has an option for searching by "Usage rights". Consider using it to find some of these works.
Re:You could always write one... (Score:3, Informative)
Here's your whole job done already:
MIT OpenCourseWare - Intro to Computer Science [mit.edu]
If you need some more advanced concepts:
Full Course list [mit.edu]
Now how can I get a cake college teaching job where someone who is supposed to know all about information systems can't find stuff like this in the two seconds with google it took me? I suppose they just don't pay enough for employees...
Re:This is college level stuff?? (Score:5, Informative)
"overview of hardware, software, operating systems, and file systems"
I have a hard time reconciling that this should be college level course material. What kinds of students actually need to be given this information in 2009?
I have a hard time reconciling that an educated person would be unaware there are college students enrolled in majors other than Computer Science.
If you've been to college, you almost certainly have been required to take courses outside of your major - usually known as survey courses. You're usually given a range of classes that meet the basic requirement. A CS survey course would likely satisfy a general science requirement for, say, a history major or an art major. You might even see students from other science programs (e.g. geology, chemistry).
Re:You could always write one... (Score:5, Informative)
The idea is that there are plenty of retired professors who would love to write chapter seven of the official (say) thermodynamics textbook. There are worse things you could do today than e-mailing your congressman and telling them you support this..
Re:You could always write one... (Score:5, Informative)
Considering this is an introductory class, writing a whole book might be a little much when it's unlikely the students are familiar with the subject. I'm not saying the students can't contribute their notes to an existing project, but making the whole class be just writing the book....
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I would have recommended this link instead:
Wikibooks:Featured books [wikibooks.org]
.
The problem with Wikibooks is much the same problem with open source in general. While finding a books related to the subject you are interested in is easy, finding one that was completed to a usable state before being abandoned is a different matter.
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These two look like they might be a good starting point for the author:
Basic Computing Using Windows [wikibooks.org]
How To Assemble A Desktop PC [wikibooks.org]
.
There's also the much overlooked:
http://en.wikiversity.org/ [wikiversity.org]
And Wikiversity Featured resources [wikiversity.org]
.
This one might also be useful as well:
Introduction to Computers [wikiversity.org]
Quick answer and research links (Score:5, Informative)
Quick answer:
Introduction to Information & Communication Technology - Using Free Software and Open Technologies
Edited By: Will Brady
http://openbookproject.net/courses/intro2ict/index.xhtml [openbookproject.net]
The Non-nerds Guide to Computers
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Non-nerds_Guide_to_Computers [wikibooks.org]
But seriously spend half an hour going through results of Google search on these terms: open textbooks computing
You will have to go through the texts yourself but there are many out there at many different levels.
Here are the main resources.
Wikibooks
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Subject:Computing [wikibooks.org]
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Non-nerds_Guide_to_Computers [wikibooks.org]
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Computers_for_Beginners [wikibooks.org]
Flat World Knowledge
http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/ [flatworldknowledge.com]
MIT Open Courseware
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT_OpenCourseWare [wikipedia.org]
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/index.htm [mit.edu]
Make Textbooks Affordable open textbooks
http://www.maketextbooksaffordable.org/statement.asp?id2=37833 [maketextbo...rdable.org]
Student PIRGs
http://www.studentpirgs.org/open-textbooks-catalog#computersci [studentpirgs.org]
List at Walla Walla Community College
http://www.wwcc.edu/CMS/index.php?id=2835 [wwcc.edu]
The Assayer free books list
http://theassayer.org/ [theassayer.org]
http://www.theassayer.org/cgi-bin/asbrowsesubject.cgi?class=Q#freeclassQAc [theassayer.org]
California Learning Resource Network (only math and science)
http://clrn.org/FDTI/index.cfm [clrn.org]
OER Consortium
http://oerconsortium.org/discipline-specific/#Computer [oerconsortium.org]
Open Book Project
http://openbookproject.net/ [openbookproject.net]
http://www.openbookproject.net/courses/ [openbookproject.net]
Introduction to Information & Communication Technology - Using Free Software and Open Technologies
Edited By: Will Brady
http://openbookproject.net/courses/intro2ict/index.xhtml [openbookproject.net]
O'Reilly Open Books
http://oreilly.com/openbook/ [oreilly.com]
Textbook Revolution
http://www.textbookrevolution.org/index.php/Book:Lists/Subjects/Computer_Science [textbookrevolution.org]
http://www.opentextbook.org/ [opentextbook.org]
http://freelearning.bccampus.ca/openTextbook.php?page_id=221&bookmark=Computing [bccampus.ca]
Re:You could always write one... (Score:2, Informative)