This document provides information about an upcoming Open Education Week webcast on February 6th hosted by SPARC. It outlines the agenda for the webcast, including introductions from speakers such as the Executive Director of OpenCourseWare Consortium, a Higher Education Associate from US PIRG, and SPARC's Director of Open Education. The document shares statistics on the high cost of textbooks for students and discusses how open educational resources (OER) can help reduce costs while improving access and teaching. Suggestions are provided for how participants can get involved in raising awareness about OER during Open Education Week from March 10-15.

1. Open Education
Week on Campus
A Free SPARC Webcast
February 6, 2014
More information:
http://sparc2.arl.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=130
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

2. Webcast Speakers
• Mary Lou Forward (@ocwnews)
Executive Director of OpenCourseWare
Consortium
• Ethan Senack (@higheredpirg) Higher
Education Associate with USPIRG
• Nicole Allen (@txtbks) Director of Open
Education for SPARC
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

3. Webcast Participants
• Take a moment to introduce yourself
using the chat window. Tell us your
name, institution, and anything else
you’d like to share.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

4. http://www.slugbooks.com
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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5. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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6. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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7. $1,207
Average student budget for
books and supplies for 20132014 year
http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/average-estimatedundergraduate-budgets-2013-14
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

8. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-368
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

9. “Broken Economics”
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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10. Open Educational
Resources
Textbooks and other academic
materials that are published under a
license permitting everyone to freely
use, adapt and share the content.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

11. (1) Free
Distributed for immediate access
and use for zero cost.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

12. (2) Open License
Amends the default “All Rights
Reserved” terms of © to “Some
Rights Reserved,” granting blanket
permission in advance to everyone
to use the material
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

13. Why OER?
• Reduce costs 80-100%
• Expand digital and print access
• Enable better teaching
• Spread knowledge faster
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

14. How to Impact OER?
• Increase awareness of OER
• Expand the use of OER by faculty
• Support creation of quality OER
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

15. Open Education Week
March 10-15 (+/-)
www.openeducationweek.org
@openeducationwk
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

16. Mary Lou Forward
Executive Director
OpenCourseWare
Consortium
www.ocwconsortium.org
@ocwnews
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

17. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

18. www.ocwconsortium.org
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

19. What is Open Education Week?
Global event to raise awareness about open education.
Featuring:
•
•
•
•
•
Informational and inspirational videos
Online events (lectures, webinars, live streams)
Face to face, local events
Resources
Opportunities for interaction
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

20. www.openeducationweek.org
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

21. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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22. Schedule of 2013 events
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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23. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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24. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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25. Social media:
#openeducationwk
Facebook: Open Education Week
YouTube channel: Openeducationwk
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

26. www.openeducationweek.org
Call for contributions through Feb 28
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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27. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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28. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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29. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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30. Ethan Senack
Higher Education
Associate
U.S. PIRG
www.uspirg.org
@higheredpirg
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

31. Ethan Senack
Higher Education Associate
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

32. New Student PIRGs Study
-2039 students
- 163 campuses
- 34 states
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

33. New Student PIRGs Study
•
•
65% of students decided against
buying a textbook because it was
too expensive, 94% of these
students were concerned it would
impact their grades
Almost half said textbook costs
impact how many/which classes
they took
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

34. New Student PIRGs Study
•
82% said they would do significantly
better in a course if the textbook
was free online and the print copy
was optional (i.e. open textbooks)
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

35. New Student PIRGs Study
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

36. New Student PIRGs Study
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

37. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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38. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
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39. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

40. Why Work With Students?
•
•
•
Students are ultimately the
beneficiaries of OER
Students are effective messengers
We need an army
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

41. Tips: Working With Students
1. Focus on affordability.
Generally speaking, students are interested in OER
for one thing, and one thing only – cheaper
textbooks. The key to attracting and motivating
students is to present OER as a solution.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

42. Tips: Working With Students
2. Explain why OER is a solution.
Students want lower costs next semester, not next
decade. They tend to fight hardest for immediate
solutions: renting, used books, reserve copies, etc.
To gain student support, it is important to provide
context for why OER is a solution worth fighting for.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

43. Tips: Working With Students
3. Don’t overcomplicate things.
Most students don’t understand open licensing –
and that’s OK. Students can appreciate and
advocate for OER as a solution without knowing the
ins and outs of the different licenses, etc – all they
need is a practical understanding (stay tuned).
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

44. Tips: Working With Students
4. Start with “Open textbooks”
“OER” and “educational resources” are foreign
terms to students. It’s best to focus on the most
familiar form of OER, “open textbooks.”
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

45. Explaining OER to Students
What are open textbooks?
1.
Comparable: like any other text – similar
material and format, sold in the bookstore
2.
Affordable: low-cost in print and digital form
– read free online, download printable PDF
and/or buy a hard copy for $20-40.
3.
Flexible: professors can legally create their
own version of the textbook by removing
unwanted sections and adding new material.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

46. Explaining OER to Students
Why support open textbooks?
1.
Savings: professors who adopt open
textbooks save students 80% on average,
that’s $10,000 for the typical 100-student
class.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

47. Savings vs. New Books
Open Textbooks
Rentals
E-books
Used books
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
Source: www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/research
@SPARC_NA

48. Explaining OER to Students
Why support open textbooks?
1.
Savings: professors who adopt open
textbooks save students 80% on average,
that’s $10,000 for the typical 100-student class
2.
Options: students can choose whichever print
or digital format they want, all at low costs
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

49. Student Preferences
25%
34%
66%
Prefer
digital
Rent All
Keep Some
75%
Prefer
print
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
Source: www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/research
@SPARC_NA

50. Explaining OER to Students
Why support open textbooks?
1.
Savings: professors who adopt open
textbooks save students 80% on average,
that’s $10,000 for the typical 100-student class
2.
Options: students can choose whichever print
or digital format they want, all at low costs
3.
Change: major publishers have a stranglehold
on the market, and the best way to change
that is to increase competition with OER
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

51. Explaining OER to Students
Why take action now?
1.
Self Interest: if your professor chooses an
open textbook, you could save hundreds next
semester!
2.
Define the Enemy: this is the best way to
fight back against publisher rip-offs
3.
Stress Urgency: faculty are choosing books
for next term right now, and students are the
best hope to tell them about OER
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

52. Outreach to Students
Student Groups
•
Student government
•
Political, consumer or social justice groups, like
PIRG, Campus Progress, Young Dems, etc.
•
Academic clubs and societies
•
Fraternities and sororities
•
Environmental or cultural groups
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

53. Outreach to Students
Individual students
•
Ask professors to recommend students, or
offer extra credit for participating
•
Create opportunities for students to selfidentify: sign up form, posters, flyers, info
sessions
•
Distribute materials to help students take
action on their own
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

54. Open Education Week
Ideas and Resources
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

55. How to Impact OER?
• Increase awareness of OER
• Expand the use of OER by faculty
• Support creation of quality OER
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

56. Ideas: Events
• Invite an OER speaker to campus
• Construct an OER panel
– Good Panelists: Student, Faculty
(Author? Adopter?), Bookstore, Librarian
• Round table or brown bag lunch
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

57. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

58. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

59. Ideas: Presentations
• Set up presentations to academic
departments about OER
• Present at student government or
faculty senate meeting
• Set up a meeting with the provost
(best to do in conjunction with
students)
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

60. Ideas: Virtual
• Organize a webcast about
OER, possibly collaborating with
other campuses
• Look on www.openeducationweek.org
for great events to promote
• Organize a viewing party of a virtual
event
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

61. Ideas: Displays
• Set up a display of open textbooks in
the library. Order hard copies of open
textbooks, then set them up next to
copies of expensive textbooks. Add
large price tags, and potentially set up
a computer with a digital copy too.
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

62. Open Textbook
• Free online
• Free PDF
• Free ePub
• Print $49.73
• Instructor can adapt
and distribute
http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/college-physics
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

63. Traditional Textbook
http://www.bkstr.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&categoryId=9602&langId=1&productId=4000000000002535744&storeId=216405&productStoreId=216405
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

64. Ideas: Media
• Call the campus paper and pitch them
on doing an Editorial or Op-Ed about
OER during Open Education Week
• Write a letter to the editor in response
to a recent article about OER (easier)
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

65. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

66. Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
http://www.mndaily.com/opinion/letters-editor/2013/11/24/franken-deserves-praise-support-open-textbooks
@SPARC_NA

67. Ideas: Communications
• Coordinate a faculty-wide, or campuswide e-mail about OER
• Tweet from library or campus account
(mention @openeducationwk)
• Pick a hashtag and ask people to
tweet why OER matters to them
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

68. Ideas: Resources
• Print OER fact sheets and make
available in library
• Print copies of the Student PIRGs
report
• Create bookmarks or other swag
• Create a video about OER and
disseminate through social media
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

69. Ideas: Visibility
•
•
•
•
•
Change screen savers on computers
Feature on library website
Banners
Posters
T-shirts
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

70. Resources: OER Speaker
List
• SPARC is assembling a list of OER
speakers from across North America
• Contact us to get recommendations
and help you get in touch
Coming soon at
www.sparc.arl.org
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

71. Resources: SPARC
Toolkit
• How to’s for the ideas listed here
• Sample fact sheet, talking points, oped, campus email, tweets
• Other resources?
• Contributions?
Coming soon at
www.sparc.arl.org
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

72. Resources: SPARC
Webcast
• SPARC will organize a webcast about
OER during Open Education Week
that you can promote on campus
• It will be recorded and posted online
for campuses celebrating Open
Education Week on different weeks
Coming soon at
www.sparc.arl.org
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

73. Resources: Website
www.openeducationweek.org
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA

74. SPARC Webcast: Open
Education Week on
Campus
• Mary Lou Forward (@ocwnews)
Executive Director of OpenCourseWare
Consortium
• Ethan Senack (@higheredpirg) Higher
Education Associate with USPIRG
• Nicole Allen (@txtbks) Director of Open
Education for SPARC
Scholarly Publishing &Academic Resources Coalition
www.sparc.arl.org
@SPARC_NA