Writing and Student Success Resources

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

An interactive approach to conveying the values of academic integrity, clarifying the meaning of plagiarism, and introducing the basics of citations, quoting and paraphrasing.

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Academic Integrity in Canada: An Enduring and Essential Challenge

This open access book presents original contributions and thought leadership on academic integrity from a variety of Canadian scholars. It showcases how our understanding and support for academic integrity have progressed, while pointing out areas urgently requiring more attention. Firmly grounded in the scholarly literature globally, it engages with the experience of local practicioners. It presents aspects of academic integrity that is specific to Canada, such as the existence of an “honour culture”, rather than relying on an “honour code”. It also includes Indigenous voices and perspectives that challenge traditional understandings of intellectual property, as well as new understandings that have arisen as a consequence of Covid-19 and the significant shift to online and remote learning. This book will be of interest to senior university and college administrators who are interested in ensuring the integrity of their institutions. It will also be of interest to those implementing university and college policy, as well as those who support students in their scholarly work [Description from resource].

Licence: CC BY 4.0

Student Success

College Success (OpenStax)

Contributors: Amy Baldwin, Lisa August, James Bennett, Sabrina Mathues, Susan Monroe, MJ O’Leary, Ann Pearson, Joshua Troesh, Margit Watts

OpenStax College Success is a comprehensive and contemporary resource that serves First Year Experience, Student Success, and College Transition courses. Developed with the support of hundreds of faculty and coordinators, the book addresses the evolving challenges and opportunities of today’s diverse students. Engagement, self-analysis, personal responsibility, and student support are reflected throughout the material. College Success also includes an array of student surveys and opinion polls, and OpenStax will regularly provide the results to adopting faculty [Description from resource].

Includes: summaries, instructor manual, lecture slides, test bank, high school lesson plans

License: CC BY 4.0

Published:  2020 (Updated 2026)

Host: OpenStax

College Success Concise (OpenStax)

OpenStax College Success Concise serves First Year Experience, Student Success, and College Transition courses, and can also be used as a supplementary resource in courses across the curriculum. With the input of hundreds of instructors and academic success experts, the authors carefully prioritized the most critical topics to align to briefer courses. The offering covers material such as college culture, time management, mindset, study skills, test preparation, financial literacy, health, and planning for the future [Description from resource].

Includes: Instructor’s manual, test bank, lecture slides.

Licence: CC BY

Learning to Learn Online

This Canadian textbook presents learning strategies for online university courses.

Includes: Activities

Licence: CC BY-SA

Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library

Preparing for College Success (OpenStax)

OpenStax’s Preparing for College Success is a comprehensive resource that provides secondary students critical information to prepare for their “to and through” college journey. The book addresses the evolving challenges and opportunities of today’s diverse students. College match, preparing for transition, time management and study skills, building relationships, financial literacy, and career planning are all reflected throughout the material. Preparing for College Success also includes an array of student-centered features including scenarios and advice from current college students that can support robust classroom conversation or individual learning [Description from resource].

Includes: Instructor’s resource manual, test bank, lecture slides.

Licence: CC BY

Strategies for Academic Success

This Canadian textbook is designed to help students succeed in university.

Includes: Learning objectives

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Reviews: Available through BCcampus

University 101: Study, Strategize, and Succeed

This Canadian textbook introduces students to principles of study skills.

Includes: Exercises, further reading

Licence: CC BY-SA

Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library

University Success

This Canadian book provides practical information for first-year university students.

Includes: Activities

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Reviews: Available through BCcampus

Writing

Introduction to University Writing

This self-paced writing skills course designed for Vancouver Community College will assist students to build academic writing skills required at the university/college level. Incorporated in this skillset is the ability to use critical thinking skills to acquire and analyze information and develop knowledge in new areas.

Includes: Readings, assignments, videos, instructor resources (including assignment package with evaluation criteria)

Licence: CC BY 4.0, unless otherwise noted.

The Simple Math of Writing Well: Writing for the 21st Century

This guide focuses on the basics of linguistic structure and the variety of mediums that define the internet-connected world.

Includes: Exercises

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library

University Writing

Resources that University Writing at Auburn University has developed to support students and instructors across the disciplines in their writing and writing instruction. We define writing broadly, so you will find resources on ePortfolios, visual design, professional communication, and presentations in addition to traditional writing tasks like reflective writing, literature reviews, peer review, and editing and proofing.

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

The Word on College Reading and Writing

Written by five college reading and writing instructors, this interactive, multimedia text targets students who are entering the college reading and writing environment for the very first time. It includes examples, exercises, and definitions for just about every reading- and writing-related topic students will encounter in their college courses. Note: U.S.-centric and would require adaptation.

Includes: Check Your Understanding activities, glossary

Licence: CC BY-NC

Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library

Write Here, Right Now: An Interactive Introduction to Academic Writing and Research

This Canadian textbook is intended for first year university students and effectively integrates into the flipped classroom model. The textbook could also be used for non-flipped classroom designs, as the embedded videos, diagrams and linked modules would act as an all-in-one multimedia textbook geared towards multiple learning styles and disciplines.

Includes: Learning outcomes, videos, and activities

Licence: CC BY

Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library

Writeonline.ca

Write Online was designed by writing experts from three universities who work with students on a daily basis. Our guides introduce you to the particularities of these genres, provide practical strategies for you to try in your own writing, and use model texts to help you better understand the organization, format, and language used in each of these types of writing. Writing genres covered: case study report, lab report, literature review, and reflective writing.

Licence: CC BY-NC 4.0

Writing Guide with Handbook (OpenStax)

Contributors: Michelle Bachelor Robinson, Maria Jerskey, featuring Toby Fulwiler, Michelle Baker, Mark Bernheim, Sheila Carter-Tod, Brian Flynn, Victoria Friedrich, William Gary, Carol Hollar-Zwick, Craig A. Meyer, Cynthia Mwenja, Susie Thurman

Writing Guide with Handbook aligns to the goals, topics, and objectives of many first-year writing and composition courses. It is organized according to relevant genres, and focuses on the writing process, effective writing practices or strategies—including graphic organizers, writing frames, and word banks to support visual learning—and conventions of usage and style. The text includes an editing and documentation handbook, which provides information on grammar and mechanics, common usage errors, and citation styles. Writing Guide with Handbook breaks down barriers in the field of composition by offering an inviting and inclusive approach to students of all intersectional identities. To meet this goal, the text creates a reciprocal relationship between everyday rhetoric and the evolving world of academia. Writing Guide with Handbook builds on students’ life experiences and their participation in rhetorical communities within the familiar contexts of personal interaction and social media. The text seeks to extend these existing skills by showing students how to construct a variety of compelling compositions in a variety of formats, situations, and contexts [Description from resource].

Includes: lecture slides, instructor manual, student toolkit

License: CC BY 4.0

Published: 2021 (Updated 2024)

Host: OpenStax

Writing for Success: 1st Canadian H5P Edition

The interactive textbook provides instruction in steps, builds writing, reading, and critical thinking, and combines comprehensive grammar review with an introduction to paragraph writing and composition. Canadian adaptation of English Composition I: Rhetorical Methods-Based. Reviews are available for the previous edition.

Includes: Learning objectives, discussion questions, key takeaways, self-practice exercises

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Writing for Success 2023

This book, Writing for Success 2023, has been adapted by Jamie Campbell Martin in spring of 2023 from 2015’s Writing for Success. The author uses it in his community college English composition courses. It covers typical topics for a composition course: reading and studying; grammar and mechanics; thesis development; rhetorical modes;
citing sources in APA and MLA styles [Description from resource].

Includes: Writing exercises.

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Reviews: Available through OER Commons