Shippensburg University professor of mathematics, Dr. James Hamblin, has spent the past several years replacing Elementary Linear Algebra textbook materials with free, fully integrated open-source resources: free online text, MyOpenMath exercises, and video lectures. According to Hamblin, the goal was to bridge the gap between a heavily theoretical approach favored by math majors and the needs of students in physics and engineering, all while not demanding that students pay for a textbook.
“I never found anything that I liked that would bridge the gap,” Hamblin expressed. Publisher options often focus on one mode of learning over another, and their online platforms can make it inflexible for instructors to shape homework assignments.
Hamblin wrote an online text for Elementary Linear Algebra and built a large source of MyOpenMath problems that test computation, definitions and the ability to solve problems from minimal data. Also, during his Spring 2025 sabbatical, Hamblin created 45 edited lecture videos to align with the text and homework assignments. He found the videos to be an important element of his teaching because they offer visualizations and a self-paced learning approach; this way, if students miss something in class, they have the ability to go back and learn.
In class, the course runs in a “flipped format,” where students are assigned to watch the recorded lectures before class, complete warm-up exercises, complete a printed worksheet with solutions and then complete MyOpenMath problems. Early evidence suggests that the current system is working. Comparing this fall to his previous courses, he said, “the averages were significantly higher” on the first exam.
All the materials are crafted with care and cohesiveness. The terminology, examples and homework assignments all mirror one another and align with the videos, which in turn reduces the challenge of translating a generic textbook across different teaching and learning methods.
With a computer science background, he codes custom items that utilize multiple-answer formats, conceptual checks and randomized problems to evaluate whether the student is comprehending the definitions and equations. Over time, the algorithm helps form a diagnostic plan that shows where students struggle and how to reinforce certain concepts.
Hamblin was quick to acknowledge that the shift to open-source resources was a collaborative effort across the math department. By utilizing “course shells and problem banks” as well as ready-to-teach modules, professors are able to offer customizable and free learning materials. “We want people to be able to use free options that are just as good, if not better, than prepackaged materials, with the ability to modify materials,” Hamblin shared.
While Hamblin focuses on teaching and building out open-source resources, he also volunteers during Welcome Week’s One Stop Shop, a campus-wide event where advisors help first-year students fix schedule and placement issues. Here, Hamblin helps students understand the common misconceptions around STEM coursework, while also assisting them with meeting their course requirements.
Hamblin sets the bar high when it comes to providing access to high-quality resources and information for his students. His work toward the math department’s initiative to integrate open-source materials into the curriculum of courses, such as Elementary Linear Algebra, has resulted in scalable and accessible content that alleviates the burden of purchasing a textbook.
As Hamblin put it, “I will continue to sing the praises of open-source resources to anyone willing to listen to me,” because creating such materials results in tangible success, all while lowering costs.
