Linear Algebra Applications (Lyryx)
OER Reviewed: Linear Algebra with Applications by W. Keith Nicholson
Reviewer: James Bailey (No current affiliation)
Rating
Each criterion asks the reviewer to rate it on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very poor and 5 = excellent).
Comprehensiveness – Rating: 5
The OER covers all areas and ideas of the subject appropriately and provides an effective index and/or glossary.
This OER contains all the topics which are normally covered in a first course in Linear Algebra over two semesters. There is no Glossary but there is a full Index. There is a list of applications on page xv.
This text is used at University of Calgary and on page ix there are suggested course outlines for two semesters. All science and engineering students take their first linear algebra course in the first semester. There is a flow chart on page x showing chapter dependencies.
In addition, there is algorithmically generated online formative assessment. Values are randomly generated each time the question is run, and are chosen to allow easy computation by hand. There are also open ancillary resources: a Partial Student Solution Manual, and Slides and a Question Bank for instructors.
Content Accuracy – Rating: 5
Content, including diagrams and other supplementary material, is accurate, error-free, and unbiased.
This OER is exceptionally carefully written. I spotted a few typos but it was always clear what was intended. All the diagrams are carefully drawn, informative, and attractive.
Relevance/Longevity – Rating: 5
Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the OER obsolete within a short period of time. The OER is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.
It would be easy to insert additional topics at appropriate points in the text. For example, I would like to see more physics applications, so I would add a section on rotational motion and angular momentum after the section on the cross product. I believe that this would be easy to do.
The source code (LATEX files) is available and the editorial staff at Lyryx will work with instructors to customise the material and help manage multiple sections.
Clarity – Rating: 5
The OER is written in lucid, accessible prose, and provides adequate context for any jargon/technical terminology used.
Many definitions are in boldface in the body of the text. More important Definitions, Examples, and Theorems are set in colour coded boxes which have a brief description in a strip of a darker colour at the top of the box. Often, after a statement is made using symbols or technical terms it will be repeated, but in “plain English.”
Also, there is a clickable link to the appropriate section when a reference is made to a technical term/definition/theorem which hadn’t been used for some time. This text is self contained and could be used for self study.
Consistency – Rating: 5
The OER is internally consistent in terms of termi