The document discusses the rising cost of college textbooks and the problem this poses for students and learning. It introduces open educational resources (OER) as a solution to make educational content more affordable and effective. OER are teaching materials that are freely available online for anyone to use and reuse under open licenses. The document outlines the benefits of OER such as significant cost savings for students, greater pedagogical flexibility for educators, and improved learning outcomes. It provides examples of OER initiatives and calls for broader adoption of OER to help lower the financial barriers to education.
Music 9 - 4th quarter - Vocal Music of the Romantic Period.pptx
OER and Solving the Textbook Cost Crisis (Fairfield University 10/7/15)
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textbook
cost crisis
Nicole Allen (nicole@sparc.arl.org)
Director of Open Education, SPARC
Except where otherwise
noted...
theOER and solving
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Cost Factors:
Tuition and Fees
Room and Board
Transportation
Books and Supplies
Other Expenses
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Cost Factors:
Tuition and Fees
Room and Board
Transportation
Books and Supplies
Other Expenses
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Figure 1: Estimated Increases in New College Textbook Prices, College Tuition and
Fees, and Overall Consumer Price Inflation, 2002 to 2012
prices grew by 28 percent.
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Market Failure
5 major
publishers hold
nearly 90% of
the market
Source: Turning the Page by James Koch
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“less than one third of students
believed that using e-textbooks
significantly improved their
learning or engagement in a
course”
Market Failure
Source: EDUCAUSE
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2 in 3
Students say they decided against
buying a textbook because the cost is
too high
Source: Student PIRGs
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1 in 2
Students say they have at some point
taken fewer courses due to the cost of
textbooks
Source: Florida Virtual Campus
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<1 in 2
Students purchase a current
edition of their textbook
Source: Book Industry Study Group
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Hewlett Foundation Definition:
“OER are teaching, learning, and
research resources that reside in the
public domain or are released under an
intellectual property license that permits
their free use and repurposing by
others”
34. @txtbks | sparc.arl.org
Hewlett Foundation Definition:
“OER are teaching, learning, and
research resources that reside in the
public domain or are released under an
intellectual property license that permits
their free use and repurposing by
others”
51. @txtbks | sparc.arl.org
The cost of college textbooks has risen 812% since 1978, more
than the rates of inflation, health care, new home prices, and
college tuition.
More and more, college students are unable to afford their
textbooks, and as many as 70% of students have reported
avoiding buying at least one textbook for their courses. Not
surprisingly, these students do not do as well academically.
As of May 2013, if a TCC student purchased all of the textbooks
required for a business administration degree, that student would
spend $3,678.95 on new books. While used textbooks may lower
this price, their availability is, at best, uneven.
But the problem with printed textbooks goes beyond financial cost; textbooks “ cost” students and teachers
in other ways as well.
Because textbooks are frequently written for broad audiences in the hopes that they will fill the learning
support needs and be adopted by large numbers of faculty and departments, they are filled with content
and exercises that are superfluous to a specific course’ s learning outcomes. The cost here is in teaching
efficiency and effectiveness.
Fortunately a solution to both problems exists.
Beginning in Fall 2013, TCC became the first college in the U.S. to create an Associate of Science degree
based solely on open educational resources (OER), academically vetted and publicly licensed content. After
Tidewater CommunityCollege
ismakingcollegemoreaffordable.
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Supporting Adoption
Developmental Math Results"
Percentage passing with C or better
48.40%
60.18%
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Spring 2011
No OER
Spring 2013
All OER
n=2,842
About Lumen Lear
Open Educational Resources represent a
and learners, while at the same time imp
unsure what to do to help their institution
This is where Lumen enters the picture.
Co-founded by open education visionary
Lumen is dedicated to facilitating broad,
After years of pioneering work in open ed
Generation Learning Challenges grant-fu
textbooks with OER in community colleg
50% and improving student success rate
resulted in moving the cost of required te
10% compared to student performance in
You can read more about the Kaleidosco
Adding this concrete proof to the body of
help more educational institutions and st
Lumen helps institutional leaders and fac
! Finding quality content and mapp
around the country to review and agg
into Open Courses that match gener
course frameworks online. This proc
individual or institution to download a
! Incorporating OER into academic
consulting services to help institution
sense to introduce OER into courses
Source: Lumen Learning