Making an OER as accessible as possible requires consideration of publishing on multiple platforms. However, doing so without increasing the scale of the work required can be difficult. In this session, learn how the Communication Department at Dalton State College utilized open-source tools to create a version of Exploring Public Speaking that was easy to convert to multiple formats, including a printable/accessible PDF, two different eBook formats, and a web browser version. The core tool that makes easy cross-publishing possible is Pandoc, an open-source command-line application that allows for rapid text conversion and reformatting. Current difficulties and limitations for purely open-source routes will be discussed, including Pandoc’s limited handling of image alt-text and the department’s decision to utilize Adobe InDesign for the PDF version’s layout. Additionally, the value of writing in plain-text Markdown and the importance of separating content from design will be discussed.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will learn the benefits of separating writing from visual design when developing OERs.
Participants will learn about writing in Markdown and its benefits for format conversion and accessibility.
Participants will be exposed to open-source tools that allow for a smooth pipeline to creating multiple formats of an OER, including Pandoc and Calibre.
