OpenStax, a leading provider of high-quality open educational resources and interactive learning technologies housed at Rice University, announces the completion of its computer science digital textbook collection. These resources provide free, up-to-date, relevant and engaging learning content to support students and educators in one of today’s most popular and rapidly evolving fields.
The collection includes five titles: “Introduction to Computer Science,” “Workplace Software and Skills,” “Foundations of Information Systems,” “Principles of Data Science” and “Introduction to Python Programming.” This suite of resources ensures both traditional and nontraditional students in the field have access to learning materials that align with industry standards and emerging technology trends.
Authored by leading experts and educators with deep experience in both academic and industry settings, these interactive textbooks were developed with careful attention to the Association of Computing Machinery’s curricular guidelines and recommended competencies for computer science and information systems, ensuring alignment with the skills and knowledge that today’s students need for success in both academic and professional environments. Some experts who contributed to the content of these textbooks include:
- Jean-Claude Franchitti draws on 40-plus years of experience in technology development and industry standards, including work with IBM Infosphere DataStage, to inform his contributions to “Introduction to Computer Science.”
- Tammie Bolling, Angela Mitchell, Tanya Scott and Nyrobi Wheeler are educators and professionals with backgrounds spanning mobile technologies, product development, innovation strategy and business leadership, helping them to author “Workplace Software and Skills.”
- Mahesh S. Raisinghani of Texas Woman’s University shares insights earned from award-winning research and editorial leadership as the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies in “Foundations of Information Systems.”
“Our goal was to create accessible, flexible and high-quality materials that prepare students for both foundational learning and career readiness,” said Anthony Palmiotto, director of higher education for OpenStax. “These resources reflect best practices in computing education while incorporating timely developments in the field — such as material on large language models and generative artificial intelligence.
“All OpenStax digital textbooks are designed to evolve alongside the discipline. We actively consult with instructors, students and industry leaders to ensure our materials remain relevant and effective for teaching and learning within the digital landscape.”
The completion of the computer science collection from OpenStax marks an important step in expanding access to educational materials in a field where up-to-date resources are essential. The open license model used by OpenStax allows educators to customize content in any way necessary to meet the unique needs of their students.
OpenStax digital textbooks are available free online with affordable print options for those who prefer that format. Downloadable PDFs and .DOCx files are also freely available for each title. You can access the full computer science collection from OpenStax here.