ZTC Course & Resource

This textbook, Modern World History: New Perspectives, began as a collaborative project of seven community college history professors across the state of California in 2022. The project was completed in 2024. I have made modifications to the textbook for my specific Orange Coast College history course in 2025. This committee believes that World History educators have an important responsibility to create awareness of historical injustices and teach lessons that can be useful in the present. This textbook actively moves away from Eurocentric narratives that exclude the knowledge, culture, and history of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Using existing OER as the starting point, this textbook is a collaborative project that develops engaging content to promote social justice, racial equity, and anti-racism in the modern world history course (C-ID HIST 160).

This collaborative project aims to:

• affirm the inherent diversity of human experiences
• increase student exposure to diverse and inclusive content by introducing them to the contributions of artists, thinkers, and writers from underrepresented groups and cultures
• encourage culturally responsive and affirming teaching
• develop content that empowers students to develop an understanding of their own values, beliefs, and cultures and those of others
• promote student equity by reducing textbook costs for World History courses by creating quality OER content
• create quality resources and assignments to improve student learning and facilitate content review

Statewide Impact:

World History courses are offered at every community college to fulfill GE requirements. Most textbooks range between $60 and $150 for each course. Many students cannot afford to buy expensive textbooks. The contributors to this project teach in several districts across the state. This team is comprised of a very diverse (in terms of identity and educational background) group of talented scholars and experienced instructors who will offer a variety of perspectives on a wide range of topics and regions covered in World History courses. This OER textbook not only provides the required historical knowledge but also develops assignments and content that will enable students to analyze and interpret historical events from different perspectives with accuracy, clarity, and empathy.

Special Features:

• Every chapter has learning objectives, focus questions, and at least one primary source insert
• Every section has at least one image and review questions
• Key vocabulary and terminology are linked to a glossary page at the end of every chapter

About the Professor:

I have been in the field of education since 2000 when I began student teaching at a Chicago public high school as part of a teacher credentialing program for the state of Illinois. I received my doctorate at the University of California-Irvine where I focused on Latin American and World History. My research analyzed Cold War conflicts in South America, and I have taught extensively at UC-Irvine and at community colleges across Southern California.  Currently, I am a professor of World History, Latin American History, and Humanities at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.