In this talk, I will present guiding principles for developing an online open resource for Algorithms courses, filling the role of a traditional textbook. This resource will support instructors and student learning in an upper-level undergraduate Algorithms course. I am seeking coauthors who share this vision, to collaborate on developing this resource. I am also seeking Algorithms instructors and potential future adopters, who are willing to provide feedback throughout the development of this resource.

The “textbook” will neither be primarily “text” nor a “book”. Instead, it will be available online for free, and material will be introduced through a combination of animated videos, interactive explorations, example exercises with immediate feedback, and written explanations. It will be developed using PreTeXt (for organization and text), Doenet (for interactives and exercises), Manim (for animations), Runestone Academy, and other resources as appropriate.

The textbook will be designed to be highly modular and flexible, so that an instructor can pick and choose which “chapters” to use in their course. Because of this, the textbook will be adaptable to many different course needs. This will also facilitate incremental publication, as individual chapters can be published independently, before the entire work is complete.

Because of the ambitious vision for this resource, I expect that development will take place over several years, and the textbook will continue to be updated and improved beyond the initial development. I am interested in working with collaborators to seek grant support for this project.