Open Access Textbooks Access, Scholarship and Community

Open Access Textbooks Textbooks (and related materials) which are open — that is free for anyone to use, reuse and redistribute. Changes model for students Learning/teaching options :: Almost always digital Low/No Cost :: Creative Commons (CC) license Flexible Faculty and students own content Remix content to meet specific needs Online/hybrid learning communities Personal learning environments

Textbooks (and related materials) which are open — that is free for anyone to use, reuse and redistribute.

Changes model for students

Learning/teaching options :: Almost always digital

Low/No Cost :: Creative Commons (CC) license

Flexible

Faculty and students own content

Remix content to meet specific needs

Online/hybrid learning communities

Personal learning environments

Students & Traditional Textbooks Students on average spend $900 on textbooks annually College textbook prices have risen at twice the inflation rate since the 1980s, averaging 6% per year. New editions with minimal alterations are coming out at a faster rate compared to cycles 10 to 20 years ago. Customized publishing designed for specific classes raises prices and negates student ability to buy and sell used books. Government Accountability Office. College Textbooks: appear to drive the recent price increases. Washington D. C.: United States Government Accountability Office, July, 2005

Students on average spend $900 on textbooks annually

College textbook prices have risen at twice the inflation rate since the 1980s, averaging 6% per year.

New editions with minimal alterations are coming out at a faster rate compared to cycles 10 to 20 years ago.

Customized publishing designed for specific classes raises prices and negates student ability to buy and sell used books.

Government Accountability Office. College Textbooks: appear to drive the recent price increases. Washington D. C.: United States Government Accountability Office, July, 2005

Similar, But Different eBooks Different cost & distribution models Generally one user at a time/not multi-user licensed, same costs as traditional book, faculty & students can’t change content to meet course/student needs Course Reserves Not Creative Commons licensed “ Closed” access to material Reserves & eBooks support some digital learning environments but do not completely address traditional textbook issues

eBooks

Different cost & distribution models

Generally one user at a time/not multi-user licensed, same costs as traditional book, faculty & students can’t change content to meet course/student needs

Course Reserves

Not Creative Commons licensed

“ Closed” access to material

Reserves & eBooks support some digital learning environments but do not completely address traditional textbook issues

Creative Commons

Open Textbook Example I

Open Textbook Example II

Open Textbook Example III

Quality of Open Textbooks Materials are not anonymous (e.g. Wikipedia) Pedagogy and Tradition Faculty decide if an item meets their quality standards Communities of scholars collaborate In order to help users find the materials they need, we are developing a system that enables anyone (individuals, institutions, professional societies, and so on) to set up their own review process that sifts through the entire repository and directs users to the content judged to be "high quality". It is basically analogous to the "peer review" systems used in academic journals, but more scalable. - Connexions , The Open Textbook portal at Rice University

Materials are not anonymous (e.g. Wikipedia)

Pedagogy and Tradition

Faculty decide if an item meets their quality standards

Communities of scholars collaborate

Provost Council Reactions & Next Steps Do you know of faculty who are already using open textbooks? Do you think there might be support in your colleges? Use Open Textbooks Create (author) Open Textbooks What’s missing from this overview? If there is support, where might we go from here? Are there existing groups/committees who could take this issue (Council of Associate Deans?)

Do you know of faculty who are already using open textbooks?

Do you think there might be support in your colleges?

Use Open Textbooks

Create (author) Open Textbooks

What’s missing from this overview?

If there is support, where might we go from here?

Are there existing groups/committees who could take this issue (Council of Associate Deans?)

Resources Notes and Further Reading CCCOER (De Anza) Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources Connexions (Rice) Educause Review William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (Open Educational Resources) University of California http://delicious.com/shawncalhoun/open_textbook

Notes and Further Reading

CCCOER (De Anza)

Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources

Connexions (Rice)

Educause Review

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (Open Educational Resources)

University of California

http://delicious.com/shawncalhoun/open_textbook