Y1 Unit 4.4: Elements of a Chapter
This project has required elements for chapters and chapter sections in order to ensure that each textbook we launch will meet our criteria for success. You’ll hand in a manuscript with all of these elements at the end of Year 1.
Each chapter will have consistent openers and closers. In between, the body of each chapter will be divided into sections, and each section will in turn have subsections.
Your outline will give you a top-level view of recurring chapter elements so that you can include them consistently. Your team may decide on chapter elements that provide context, overview, motivation, review, or other functions that are useful for learning. If so, include these additional elements in your outline now so that you apply them throughout your textbook. There are opportunities to adjust your chapter structure as you go along.
Required Chapter Elements
This section describes the required chapter elements that you will include in your outline. We cover how to draft required chapter elements in Unit 8. If you are planning to invite student contributions to your textbook by designing an open pedagogy assignment this year, consider: are there recurring chapter elements that particularly align with your vision for including student voices?
Required chapter openers
Chapter openers appear in the first section of each chapter. The elements below will go into a chapter section with a consistent title, such as “Learning Objectives and Overview.”
| Chapter Element and Purpose | Examples and Tips |
|---|---|
| Chapter overview: A narrative description of what the chapter covers. | “In this chapter, we’ll focus first on _____, then we’ll discuss ______, and we’ll wrap up with an examination of ______.”
The Chapter Reading Guide [Website] at the beginning of this Contemporary Families chapter states the purpose of the chapter and gives the student prompts to direct their attention while reading. The Overview [Website] at the beginning of this Sociology in Everyday Life chapter uses a spotlight (defined later in this section) to “hook” the reader’s attention. The chapter overview is in the last paragraph of the box and segues into the main body of the chapter, encouraging students to turn the page. |
| List of chapter learning objectives: 3-5 statements of what students are expected to know by the end of the chapter. | We explain how to write learning objectives later in this unit. For examples, look at the beginning of each unit in this curriculum. |
| Key terms (list): A list of up to 10 words that are essential to the chapter’s learning objectives; can be used for study and review. | See Preview of Key Terms [Website] in a chapter overview from Human Services Practicum. |
Author teams can decide to include additional chapter openers beyond the required elements listed in figure Y1 4.2. Some examples to engage students and encourage motivation include:
- A vignette that introduces the theme of the chapter’s spotlight (defined in figure Y1 4.4, below).
- An epigraph that quotes an outside voice to reinforce the importance of the topic.
- A self-assessment (pre-test) that helps students see what they know before reading the chapter; often paired with a post-assessment or reflection at the end of the chapter.
Required chapter closers
Chapter closers appear in the last section of each chapter. The elements below will go into a chapter section with a consistent title, such as “Conclusion” or “Key Takeaways.”
| Chapter Element and Purpose | Examples and Tips |
|---|---|
| Conclusion: A narrative description of the key takeaways you want students to understand from the chapter. | The Conclusion [Website] at the end of this Introduction to Criminology chapter restates the concepts covered in the chapter learning objectives. |
| Open-Ended Reflection Prompts: A set of 3 ideas that invite students to engage more deeply with your chapter content. From the student perspective, these prompts encourage different approaches to connecting with new concepts. From the instructor perspective, prompts may become required or optional assessments, discussion board posts, or other course design elements. | The Discussion Questions [Website] at the end of a chapter from Mental Disorders and the Criminal Justice System encourage a student to imagine a follow-on effect of a diagnosis they learn about in the chapter.
The Practice [Website] page at the end of a chapter from Human Services Practicum suggests journal prompts, self-care activities, and discussion topics for multiple means of engagement with the chapter content. |
| Self-check question set: Each chapter will include at least 3 embedded H5P questions with answer feedback that offer students an opportunity for low-stakes formative assessment. | Emphasize concepts that are challenging, surprising, or counterintuitive – instructors usually know which concepts need additional reinforcement!
Review of Learning Objectives [Website] on the Conclusion page of a chapter from Sociology in Everyday Life shows you what an H5P question set looks like. Use the blue arrow in the lower right corner of the question set box to move to the next question. |
| Reference list: Provide full citations for any sources that you quote, paraphrase, or summarize. | Use your discipline’s citation style to track the sources you cite in your chapter as you go along. Note that this is separate from the License & Attribution list at the end of each chapter section.
For an example, check out the APA style References [Website] in a chapter of Mental Disorders and the Criminal Justice System. |
Author teams can decide to include additional chapter closers beyond the required elements listed in figure Y1 4.3. Some examples to enhance the synthesis of new learning include:
- A resolution of a vignette introduced in the chapter opener, with an explicit callback to create a “bookend” effect and a satisfying resolution to the chapter’s spotlight (defined in figure Y1 4.4, below).
- A list of optional additional resources for further study. Each list item should include annotations describing the resource and what it offers.
Required spotlights and figures
Each chapter includes spotlights and figures that engage diverse learners by adding multiple means of representation. Spotlights and figures break up long blocks of text and offer alternative approaches to your content. They are an important way that we apply Universal Design for Learning to our curriculum design, as we shared in the matrix from Unit 1.
| Chapter Element and Purpose | Examples and Tips |
|---|---|
| Spotlight: A deep exploration of a chapter concept, historical event, biography, or case study that requires sustained student engagement. Spotlights may also be a first-person narrative vignette or a third-person scenario with a named character that engages student interest and shows the relevance of the chapter’s topic. Spotlights may appear in a box or under a consistent subsection header, and typically include figures, reflection questions, relevant links with annotations, or other invitations to extend interaction. Each chapter includes at least one spotlight. | Kate’s Story [Website] from Social Problems introduces a first-person account of hospitalization from a severe and persistent mental illness. Names of real people have been changed to protect their anonymity.
In Focus: Race-Based Hair Discrimination and the CROWN Act [Website] from Human Services Practicum focuses on discrimination of women of color within human services, examining the history of racism and sexism in dress codes. In Focus: DACA, A Personal Account [Website] from Contemporary Families features a personal story from the National Immigration Center [Website], sharing valuable resources for educators and others who work with immigrant families. The heartbreaking case study of Melissa Perez opens a Chapter Overview [Website] in Mental Disorders and the Criminal Justice System. |
| Figures: Multimedia elements that provide the reader with a new format to engage with chapter content. Each chapter includes at least one figure per section. | Figures include images, infographics, tables, videos, or other multimedia that are essential for students to achieve the chapter’s learning objectives. Figures must be accessible, aligned to the chapter’s purpose, and include a figure number and a figure caption.
Figure 1.3 in the chapter section What Makes a Theory? [Website] in the book Introduction to Criminology adds a lighthearted photo of a flash mob to illustrate a serious point about how researchers test abstract theories (use control-F to find the figure on the page). Alt text makes this image accessible. Figure 9.5 in the chapter section The Role of Civil Commitment [Website] in the book Mental Disorders and the Criminal Justice System embeds a streaming video in order to bring in voices of people who have experienced civil commitment firsthand (use control-F to find the figure on the page). Audio captions and a transcript make this video accessible. Figure 1.6 in the chapter section Theories, Practices, and Concepts Central to Human Services [Website] in the book Introduction to Human Services is a complex infographic that students will need to spend some time with (use control-F to find the figure on the page). The spotlight on Marlene just below it directs student attention to different elements of the infographic. The long description linked from the image caption makes the image accessible. |
We require at least one figure per chapter section, and at least one spotlight per chapter, in order to apply Universal Design for Learning to our curriculum design. Universal Design for Learning, developed by CAST [Website] and based on 30 years of research on the neuroscience of learning, recognizes learner variability as the norm.
Universal Design for Learning introduces three principles for design:
- Multiple means of representation, including media, text, outlines, images, and audio rather than text alone.
- Multiple means of expression. In the context of a textbook, this means incorporating embedded self-assessments and interactives that allow for active student reflection.
- Multiple means of engagement, such as incorporating content from guest speakers or community members, using current case studies, and highlighting student-generated research.
We will return to these principles in more depth in Unit 6. For now, consider: what regularly occurring spotlights and figures would you like to incorporate into your curriculum in support of your chapter learning objectives? Do you want to include a short video in the introduction to each chapter? Do you want to create personas based on the experiences of real people to thread through your textbook? How will your outline show peer reviewers that you’re actively incorporating Universal Design for Learning into your chapter design?
Your outline won’t note any figures at this stage. However, it will name the spotlights you want to develop and reflect your team’s decisions about how you will consistently use this chapter element.
Examples of Universal Design for Learning
In practice, each Universal Design for Learning principle looks different depending on the learning objectives of a book or course. Consider the examples below:
- For a learning objective that explains how sociologists understand social constructions, authors might incorporate figures including infographics and images illustrating key issues. An open pedagogy approach would assign the design work to students so that they create their own mental models of how social constructs fit together.
- For a learning objective that examines how businesses conduct needs assessments, authors might develop a spotlight by partnering with local business leaders to generate short videos, reflection questions, or case studies. An open pedagogy approach would assign students to research local community needs so that they build connections and identify interesting problems.
To optionally explore more examples of Universal Design for Learning principles applied to a textbook chapter in Pressbooks, visit Example Chapter for the Open Curriculum Development Model [Website]. This interactive page provides callouts to show examples of equity based design decisions. Select the right arrow to move through each page. Select the plus icon to read about each design feature.
Licenses and Attributions for Elements of a Chapter
“Elements of a Chapter” by Open Oregon Educational Resources is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
