New OpenStax digital resource supports the field of neuroscience

HOUSTON - Jan. 27, 2025 - PRLog -- OpenStax, Rice University's initiative to make education affordable and accessible to learners everywhere and the world's largest publisher of open educational resources (OER), announces the release of "Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience," a free, openly licensed digital learning resource.

This interactive digital textbook provides students with a solid foundation in the fundamental principles of brain-behavior-environment interactions and is appropriate for students in higher education across a diverse range of majors. In partnership with a diverse team of expert authors, OpenStax seized the opportunity to support students studying to enter a rapidly evolving field of neuroscience that carries great promise for understanding human behavior, mental health and neurological disorders. The interactive format, multimedia elements and real-world applications support a deeper foundational understanding of the subject matter to aid students as they progress through their chosen degree program.

"The field of neuroscience is experiencing rapid growth, and there continues to be a pressing need for high-quality, accessible educational materials," said Anthony Palmiotto, director of higher education for OpenStax. "'Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience' helps fill this void by providing students with an interactive, digital learning experience that meets the requirements of their instructors, heightens their engagement as a learner and prepares them for more advanced coursework, all while remaining true to the OpenStax mission of expanding access to educational materials to all."

In "Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience," students are challenged to consider real neuroscience experiments, appreciate how neuroscience knowledge evolves over time and also consider open questions in the field. With interview videos and embedded researcher profiles, students can ascertain a more clear understanding of what it is like to work in the field of neuroscience.

Reflecting on helping coordinate the writing of this digital resource, Dr. Elizabeth Kirby, associate professor of behavioral neuroscience at The Ohio State University, said, "Neuroscientists come from a variety of backgrounds and career stages and work in institutions all over the U.S. We understood that this textbook could both teach students about neuroscience and shed light on who neuroscientists are. That understanding led us to prioritize the participation of contributing authors from across the country and from a range of subfields and experience levels. Our goal is for anyone reading this resource to gain a sense of the variety of current approaches and perspectives in this dynamic field."

Committed to helping make amazing educational experiences accessible for all, OpenStax is building interactive learning technologies and engaging experiences for students that utilize its trustworthy, peer-reviewed content. Currently, the OpenStax library consists of 73 titles across eight disciplines.

To access "Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience" online or in PDF format for free, please click here (https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-behaviora...).