What is Affordable Learning Solutions?
Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) is a CSU-wide initiative to support student savings through the adoption of lower cost, high-quality course materials. Throughout the 2014-2015 academic year, Kennedy Library, the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, the Disability Resource Center, and the University Store collaborated to create Cal Poly's Affordable Learning Solutions program. Some of our initiatives and events include:
- AL$ Information Day
- e-book comparison pilot with the University Store
- the Open and Affordable resources web page and this research guide
- e-book and tablet workshops for faculty
To learn how members of the Cal Poly community are using low-cost and open resources in their courses, visit our faculty showcase.
Faculty Showcase
- California Open Online Library Faculty ShowcaseTo learn more about how other faculty members in the three California higher education systems are incorporating open resources into their courses, select one of the subject selections from the "Faculty Showcase" tab on the Cool4Ed homepage.
Accessibility resources
- Diagram Accessible Image Sample e-book"The Accessible Image Sample Book, creAccessible Image Sample Book Cover Imageated by the DIAGRAM Content Working Group, is a free online resource that shows you what some of the many options are for creating accessible versions of digital images such as
maps, bar charts, diagrams, mathematical expressions, photographs and more!"
When using or creating open resources, it is important to make sure that they are available to all students. Here are a number of resources to help you and your students. If you have any questions, please contact Cal Poly's Disability Resource Center--they're happy to help you!
- FLOE ProjectFlexible Learning for Open Education provides resources to personalize the learning experience for diverse learning styles and needs.
- Accessible Digital Office Document Project (ADOD)ADOD helps create accessible Microsoft Office and Adobe documents
- AL$ AccessibilityThe Affordable Learning Solutions website provides information for those looking to learn about accessibility issues and solutions.
- MERLOT-OER and AccessibilityMERLOT encourages its community to build a collection of accessible open educational resources to share.
- BookshareBookshare is a free, membership-based service for students with "qualifying print disabilities" that prevent them from reading traditional materials. The Cal Poly Disability Resource Center has an institutional membership to Bookshare and can help students obtain free individual memberships. Please contact the DRC for more information or assistance.
- RoboBrailleRoboBraille is "an e-mail and web-based service capable of automatically transforming documents into a variety of alternative formats for the visually and reading impaired."
Turning a resource into an Open Educational Resource
- Turning a resource into an Open Educational ResourceWikimedia Commons provides an animation on the factors one must consider when creating an OER with links for further information.
