UMass Amherst Libraries Publish Adapted Open Educational Resource, Adult Psychopathology

Carolyn Davies, a lecturer in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences, has published a new open educational resource (OER) Adult Psychopathology, with support from the UMass Amherst Libraries’ Open Education Initiative.

Adult Psychopathology is now freely available to students and the broader academic community and is projected to save students approximately $49,000 annually in textbook costs. By adapting existing openly licensed materials, Davies has created a no-cost resource that is also better aligned with the specific needs of students in her course.

“My goal was to make the textbook and readings for this course more accessible and widely used by my students,” said Davies. “A recent survey found that only 28% of students completed most or all of the reading assignments, and 30% identified the cost of the textbook as a barrier. By publishing an OER, I aimed to remove that barrier and boost student engagement.”

The newly adapted resource covers key diagnostic features and common symptoms of psychological disorders, explores biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to mental health conditions, and presents current research findings and treatment approaches. It provides a structured framework for student learning throughout the course.

Student feedback from the first semester using the OER has already shown a positive impact. Compared to the previous spring, when a commercial textbook was used, more students reported completing at least some of the assigned readings at the mid-semester point (82% vs. 75%). Students also rated the OER textbook as more helpful for their learning, with an average rating of 2.9 compared to 2.5 on a 5-point scale.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see these shifts already in just the first use of this OER text,” Davies noted. “It’s encouraging to know that removing financial barriers can also improve learning outcomes.”

The publication of this OER is part of the broader Open Education Initiative at UMass Amherst, which supports faculty in adopting, adapting, and creating open educational resources to enhance student success and promote educational equity. The initiative is coordinated by the UMass Amherst Libraries, receives funding from the Office of the Provost, and is supported by the Center for Teaching and Learning, Instructional Design and Engagement (IDEAS), and the Learning Resource Center (LRC).

To learn more about open education at UMass, visit www.library.umass.edu/oer.