1. Open Access Week 2014
Open Textbook Research:
Overview
Dr. Beck Pitt
The Open University

2. Overview
• Background: OER Research Hub project
• Open Textbook Overview: USA and OpenStax College
• Methodology
• Educator Survey (Sample)
• OpenStax College Textbooks: Impact
• Educator Perspectives
• Summary and Next Steps
http://oerresearchhub.org
#oerrhub @OER_Hub

3. Background

4. OER Research Hub
• 2-year research open research project based in the Institute of Educational
Technology (IET)
• Funded by William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
• Aiming to build the most comprehensive picture of OER impact
• Eleven research hypotheses
• Open collaboration model across different educational sectors
• Global reach but with a USA focus
• Open and Linked Fellowship Schemes
oerresearchhub.org
#oerrhub @OER_Hub

5. Keyword Hypothesis
Performance OER improve student performance/satisfaction
Openness People use OER differently from other online materials
Access OER widen participation in education
Retention OER can help at-risk learners to finish their studies
Reflection OER use leads educators to reflect on their practice
Finance OER adoption brings financial benefits for students/institutions
Indicators Informal learners use a variety of indicators when selecting OER
Support Informal learners develop their own forms of study support
Transition OER support informal learners in moving to formal study
Policy OER use encourages institutions to change their policies
Assessment Informal assessments motivate learners using OER

7. Open Textbook Overview: USA and
OpenStax College

8. Open Textbook Overview
• On average total textbook costs are around $1200 each year in the United
States
• In the United States “…Textbook wholesale prices have risen more than four
times the rate of inflation over the last two decades (1990-2009)”
(Student PIRGs research)
• “…the textbooks actually cost more than
the tuition for most students.”
(Barbara Illowsky, author of Collaborative Statistics)
• 63% of respondents to the 2012 Florida
Student Textbook Survey “…reported not
having purchased the required textbook
because of the high cost…”
Picture credit: Huffington Post
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/college-textbook-
prices-increase_n_2409153.html)

9. OpenStax College Overview
http://openstaxcollege.org/faculty
Saved students over $30
million since June 2012
From 40 adoptions in 2012 to
1061 by 2014
1 million downloads of
OpenStax materials
Image and information from OpenStax College’s 2014 Progress Report:
http://openstaxcollege.org/news/our-textbooks-have-saved-students-30-million
CC-BY
First textbook published June 2012
9 open textbooks published to date
iBooks available in 32 countries

10. Methodology

11. Overview: OpenStax College
People use OER differently from
other online materials
OER adoption brings
financial benefits for
students/institutions
OER improve student
performance/satisfaction

12. Educator Survey: Sample

13. Educator Sample: OpenStax College
• 77 Respondents in total (have used/use OSC textbooks)
• 73.7% Male (n=56) and 26.3% Female (n=20)
• Over 85% of respondents live in the United States (88.2%, n=67)
• Over 55% of respondents work in a HE/University context (57.1%, n=44)
• 76.6% of respondents do F/T face-to-face teaching (n=59)
• Nearly 70% of respondents have been teaching for more than 10 years (67.1%, n=51)
90.9% of respondents told us they have adapted open educational resources to fit their
needs (n=70)
Finding resources of a sufficiently high quality was the top challenge most often faced by
educators when using OER (65.3%, n=49)

14. OpenStax College Textbooks: Impact

15. “In what ways, if any, has using OpenStax College textbooks
impacted on your own teaching practice?”
“I have become more intentional about tailoring my course to my students, having been at least
somewhat released from the constraints imposed by the commercial publishing industry”
“I have always believed in using a lot of
additional resources. OpenStax works
nicely in this regard. The
supplementals are not fancy but we
have made additional testbanks and
other free resources available to all our
faculty in a collective approach to
compile very nice additional resources.”
“I am able to think a little more creatively of what new
experiences I can design for my students using
resources in the text or other online resources. I think
the text is a great foundation, but I don’t feel
constrained to shy away from employing other
teaching tools for fear they might ask: “Well, if you
were going to have us watch this video or do this
online tutorial – why did we have to pay $250 for the
textbook?”
“I create more collections of images to build presentation,
rather than going straight from the book.”

16. Based on your experiences as a teacher, to what extent do
you agree with the following statements?
% of educators who strongly agree or agree with the following statements:
"Use of Open Educational Resources (e.g. OpenStax College textbooks) in the
classroom...”
Allows me to better accommodate diverse learners’ needs (67.1%, n=49)
Increases learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience (66.2%, n=49)
Increases learners’ experimentation with new ways of learning (64.4%, n=47)
Increases learners’ engagement with lesson content (61.6%, n=45)
Develops learners’ increased independence and self-reliance (58.1%, n=43)
Increases learners’ interest in the subjects taught (54.1%, n=40)
Leads to improved students’ grades (50.7%, n=37)
Increases learners’ participation in class discussions (47.3%, n=35)
Increases learners’ enthusiasm for future study (47.3%, n=35)
Builds learners’ confidence (45.8%, n=33)
Increases collaboration and/or peer-support among learners (45.8%, n=33)
Leads to learners becoming interested in a wider range of subjects than before
they used OER (42.5%, n=31)

17. “In what ways, if any, has using OpenStax College
textbooks impacted on your students?”
“They are able to access the textbook and start doing homework immediately rather than being
delayed until weeks after the start of the course due to lack of finances.” “Ease of use for students and
parents. The 'note-taking" type of
students can print pages, and when
I find students have a specific
difficulty I can even print a page to
use in class. Faster students can
read on devices at any time - they
enjoy viewing the book from
smartphones etc.”
“They have the book as a resource
after leaving class. With another
text they would most likely sell it
back. Also sharing content with
others outside of class.”
reading of the
Increased portable
“textbook, and a them
e-textbooks,
that can go with textbook other review. Unlike can stay
for this one with them.”
“…the students are sharing notes and
annotations online.” “The resource gave them a sound
understanding of the topic and
they were able to do self-directed
study from it. The result is that
seniors have excelled in their
exams.”

18. “In what ways, if any, has using OpenStax College
textbooks impacted on your students?”
“more student engagement
in lab activities and lecture
presentation”
“Free and available online (while they
work, or are at home) make OpenStax
texts a great excuse-defying tool. In a
positive light- students have access to the
text wherever and whenever they
need/want it.”
“…Students love having multiple options
for textbook format (epub, iBook, pdf, or
hardcopy). Enrollment in my class has
increased by 25% - can't say for sure it
is due to the textbook, but it certainly has
helped. …”
“It saves all 800 students per
year about $120. One student
told me that she had to work 15
hours for each book that she
has to buy. That really put it in
perspective.”
“Students seem
somewhat more
engaged.”
“I think that it is highly beneficial to have a
brand new text to use, I would have been
forced through budgetary constraints to
purchase other texts which old..”
are 5-10 years

19. In what ways, if any, has using OpenStax College
textbooks impacted on your studies?
“Made learning easier and more accessible, helped and broadened my understanding and
learning, made me WANT to study, helped me become interested in Biology because of the
easy layout and presentation.” (High School Student)
“Saved my back, I already have so many
other books in my backpack and using my
computer for more info saved additional
stress that would have been on my back.”
(College student)
“Increased my Ap Biology grade
dramatically.”
(Earlier this High School respondent
reported: “I went from being horrible
in AP Biology to actually reading
these and went from a D 66% up to
a A 90% So far.”)
“Open Stax textbooks offer me
peace of mind and permit me to
study in a more relaxed way. I am
grateful not to have to come up with
hundreds of dollars per class for
books.” (Student studying without a
teacher)
“It has allowed for me
to develop knowledge
easily in areas that I
thought would be
difficult to learn in due
to the inability to buy
an in-depth textbook.”
(High School Student)

20. Educator Perspectives

21. “As a result of using OpenStax College (OSC) textbooks, are
you more or less likely to do any of the following?”
96.1% of educators who use OSC textbooks are more likely to
recommend OpenStax College textbooks to fellow educators/teachers
(n=73)
92% of respondents are more likely to make an OSC textbook the
required text for their students (n=69)
80% of respondents are more likely to discuss using OSC materials with
their institution’s administrators (n=60)
Nearly 80% of respondents who use OSC textbooks are more likely to use
other OER for teaching (79.5%, n=58)

22. Summary and Next Steps

23. Summary/Next Steps
• Further analysis of OpenStax College and Siyavula data, e.g. comparison of
adopters/users with non-users, public school respondents with private
school respondents
• BCcampus Educators Survey (Fall/Winter 2014/5)
• Further comparisons between open textbook surveys
• Case study work and further survey work: Fall 2014
• Open dissemination of data and findings via Impact Map (Open Textbook
Research Week (June 2014) and OpenStax College Infographics)
• Add your evidence to the Impact Map!
Thanks for listening! …Any questions?

24. Thanks for listening!
http://oerresearchhub.org
http://oermap.org
@BeckPitt
http://openstaxcollege.org

25. in service of The Open University