Our slides from the 2017 VCCS Horizons conference: Establishing the actual costs of textbooks: Data from Virginia's Community Colleges.

1. Image: CC(BY) 2.0 Thomas Leuthard
Jamison Miller, The College of William and Mary
Amanda Carpenter-Horning, John Tyler Community College
Kim Grewe, Northern Virginia Community College
Establishing the Actual
Costs of Textbooks
Data from Virginia’s Community Colleges
Image: CC(BY) 2.0 Thomas Leuthard

2. Image: CC(BY) 2.0 Thomas Leuthard
$1,200Estimated cost per year for “books and supplies”, The College Board–Annual Survey of Colleges

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BACKGROUND
1. Phil Hill deconstructs myth of $1,200 number
http://mfeldstein.com/how-much-do-college-students-actually-pay-for-textbooks/
2. Quill West devises an approach to generate “real” numbers
3. [LibOER] group begins to replicate approach and compile data
4. Richard Sebastian introduced the authors; collaboration explored
5. Discussed methodology with Quill West; room for customization
6. Discussed needs with Cat Finnegan & Megan Healy at VCCS
a. Full time students most commonly enrolling in 4-year transfer programs, widely known across
VCCS as “general education” programs and certificates

4. Image: CC(BY) 2.0 Thomas Leuthard
DESIGN & DELIMITATIONS
1. Contact academic advising offices at each college, N=23
2. Ask for a sample schedule that reflects:
“a general education approach,
for a college-ready student
enrolled full time and
ultimately intending to transfer to a four-
year institution.”

5. Image: CC(BY) 2.0 Thomas Leuthard
[crickets chirping]

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AMENDED DESIGN & DELIMITATIONS
1. Analyzed responses from academic advisors to find common courses
recommended for first-year students.
2. Cross-referenced the commonly recommended courses to the VCCS Master
Course file to develop a first-year schedule that could be taken at all 23
institutions.

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First-Year Schedule
Fall-
ENG 111 (College Composition 1)
BIO 101 (General Biology 1)
MTH 163 (Pre-Calculus 1)
SDV 100 (College Success Skills)
HIS 121 (US History 1)
Spring-
ENG 112 (College Composition 2)
BIO 102 (General Biology 2)
ART 101 (History and Art Appreciation 1)
SOC 200 (Principles of Sociology)
HIST 122 (US History 2)

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AMENDED DESIGN & DELIMITATIONS
1. Visited each college’s bookstore website
2. Recorded the highest cost option available (new textbook)
and lowest cost option available (used, rental, or digital versions)
3. Analyze data
After determining the 23 course schedules, next we

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RESULTS: 2016 Fall - 2017 Spring
(comprehensive, N = 23) Data is available here: http://bit.ly/2oXoage
Minimum cost Maximum cost
Mean $788.13 $1,259.89
Range $127.25 - $1,218.01 $127.25 - $1,941.00
Overall
Mean $1,024.01

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RESULTS Data is available here: http://bit.ly/2oXoage
r = 0.80

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RESULTS Data is available here: http://bit.ly/2oXoage

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RESULTS: FALL 2016 TOTALS
(comprehensive, N = 23)
MAP 1

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RESULTS: FALL 2016 TOTALS
(comprehensive, N = 23)

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LIMITATIONS
1. Data generating schedule consistent across colleges
(sample schedules not directly from advisors at each college)
2. “Minimum cost” data collected after start of semester
(lower values possible when more used/rentals still available)
3. A “production side” approach
(Based on bookstore prices: doesn’t capture every student’s experience,
schedule, or other purchasing routes)

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NEXT STEPS
1. Report to VCCS (submit to Inquiry)
2. Share methods with other open education researchers

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Questions?

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Jamison Miller, The College of William and Mary, jrmiller@wm.edu, @millerjamison
Amanda Carpenter-Horning, John Tyler Community College, acarpenter@jtcc.edu
Kim Grewe, Northern Virginia Community College, kgrewe@nvcc.edu, @Kim_Grewe
Establishing the Actual
Costs of Textbooks
Data from Virginia’s Community Colleges
Image: CC(BY) 2.0 Thomas Leuthard
Data is available here: http://bit.ly/2oXoage