The document discusses the high cost of textbooks and how open educational resources (OER) can help make textbooks more affordable. It summarizes research showing textbook prices have increased four times the rate of inflation. The Student PIRGs organization has campaigned for over a decade to expose the problem and promote alternatives like OER, which are educational materials that can be freely used, adapted, and distributed. Studies show the use of open textbooks can save students an average of 80% of new textbook costs. The presentation outlines various sustainable models for funding the creation and distribution of open textbooks.
2011-11-09 In Search of Affordable Textbooks: How OER Can Reduce Costs (Sloan-C Conference)
1. In Search of Affordable Textbooks:
How OER Can Reduce Costs
International Conference on Online Learning
November 2011 • Orlando, FL • #aln2011
Nicole Allen
The Student PIRGs
www.maketextbooksaffordable.org
nicole@studentpirgs.org
@txtbks
studentpirgs.org
21. Exposing the Problem
Campaign Activities
• 8 studies on various
elements of the
issue
• 1,000+ media hits
over the last 8 years
• Congressional
investigation
studentpirgs.org
22. Organizing Faculty
Campaign Activities
• 700 prof letter on
new editions
• UCLA math dept
negotiated 25% cut
• 23-campus Calstate
faculty resolution
studentpirgs.org
23. Price Disclosure Laws
Campaign Activities
• Passed laws in WA,
OR, CT, AZ, CA (sort of)
• Passed federal law
in 2008, took effect
Jul 1, 2010
studentpirgs.org
24. Price Disclosure Laws
Higher Education
Opportunity Act
• Publishers must disclose
prices to professors
• Publishers must offer books
unbundled
• Colleges must list books
during registration
studentpirgs.org
25. Promote Alternatives
Campaign Activities
• 3,000 profs signed
statement endorsing
open textbooks
• Student “marketing”
force met with over
2,000 professors
• Open textbook catalog
studentpirgs.org
58. Open Licensing
vs.
Some Rights All Rights
Reserved Reserved
studentpirgs.org
59. Open Licensing
Rights: Conditions:
• Freely use the • All: Credit the author
work • Some: Share under
• Adapt, remix, revis same license
e the content • Some: Use must be
• Create and not for profit
distribute copies
studentpirgs.org
60. Open Licensing
System of standardized open licenses
www.creativecommons.org
Attribution Attribution No Derivs
(BY) (BY-ND)
Attribution Share-Alike Attribution Non-
(BY-SA) Commercial
(BY-NC)
Attribution Non- Attribution Non-
Commercial Share-Alike Commercial No Derivs
(BY-NC-SA) (BY-NC-ND)
studentpirgs.org
65. There isn’t one.*
* Obviously there are still some challenges.
studentpirgs.org
66. Open Textbooks
Criteria 1: Quality
• Covers similar content, with
exercises and illustrations
• Written and reviewed by experts
• Used at Harvard, Caltech, UCLA…
studentpirgs.org
67. Open Textbooks
Criteria 2: Cost
• Freely available online to everyone
• Downloadable and printable at a
low cost
• Hard copies typically cost $20-40
and can be sold at the bookstore
studentpirgs.org
68. Open Textbooks
Criteria 3: Fit
• Open license allows instructors to
adapt the text to fit the class
• Update in real time (but no
unnecessary new editions)
studentpirgs.org
72. Savings from switching
to open textbooks.
Physics Calculus Economics
185 Students 150 Students 90 Students
$24,575 $20,115 $10,114
4 Years Tuition Down Payment $75,000 401(k)
At Iowa State On First Home after 40 years
Source: www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/research
studentpirgs.org
74. OER Models
Individuals
• Wider distribution of
work
Robert Beezer
• Sabbatical projects “The world didn’t
need another linear
algebra book. It
• Personal motivation needed a free one.”
linear.ups.edu
studentpirgs.org
75. OER Models
Institutions
• Pool resources with
Community College
other colleges with Consortium for OER
similar needs More than 200
colleges working to
• Pass policies review, create and
promote OER.
supporting faculty oerconsortium.org
use of OER
studentpirgs.org
77. OER Models
State Gov’t
• Investment in OER
WA recently launched
to reduce higher ed OER library for its 81
costs largest courses.
The 1st year will save
• Federal investment students $1.3 million.
in OER that
opencourselibrary.org
improves
access/quality
studentpirgs.org
78. OER Models
Federal Gov’t
• Invest in “generic”
US Dept. of Labor
OER content that created $2 billion
can be localized grant program to
improve job training.
• Require open license The first wave of
for all taxpayer grants required a CC
BY license on all
funded resources materials created.
studentpirgs.org
79. OER Models
Publishers
• Lots of room for
Commercial open
improvement on textbook publisher
traditional model Revenue (incl.
royalties) from
• Business models selling optional print
copies, study aids.
built around books
rather than on them flatworldknowledge.com
studentpirgs.org
81. What You Can Do
FACULTY can seek & consider
open textbooks, and use other
cost reducing practices.
More information here:
studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
studentpirgs.org
82. What You Can Do
STUDENTS can speak to their
professors and encourage
them to consider open
textbooks.
More information here:
studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
studentpirgs.org
83. What You Can Do
COLLEGES can offer support to
faculty interested in adopting
or writing open textbooks.
More information here:
studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
studentpirgs.org
84. What You Can Do
AUTHORS can show preference
for publishers using
alternative models, like open
textbooks.
More information here:
studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
studentpirgs.org
85. In Search of Affordable Textbooks:
How OER Can Reduce Costs
International Conference on Online Learning
November 2011 • Orlando, FL • #aln2011
Nicole Allen
The Student PIRGs
www.maketextbooksaffordable.org
nicole@studentpirgs.org
@txtbks
studentpirgs.org
Notas do Editor
• Open textbooks are like traditional textbooks in many ways. • They are written by experts and reviewed, same kind of material. • Hard copies are even sold in bookstores.