Using and Adapting Open Textbooks

Using and Adapting Open

TextbooksHeather M. Ross

Educational Developer

University of Saskatchewan

August 24, 2016

Overview• What’s the problem?

• What are open textbooks?

• Why should we integrate them at USask?

• What’s already happening at USask?

• What are the barriers?

• How do we integrate them?

• Now what?

Problem

Since 1977

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015

http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/freshman-year/college-textbook-prices-have-risen-812-

percent-1978-n399926

Rate of Inflation 308%

Textbook price increases 1,041%

The Academic Impact• Purchase an older edition of the textbook

• Delay purchasing the textbook

• Never purchase the textbook

63.6% Not purchase the required textbook

49.2% Take fewer courses

45.1% Not register for a specific course

33.9% Earn a poor grade

26.7% Drop a course

17.0% Fail a course

In your academic career, has the cost of required textbooks caused you to:

http://www.openaccesstextbooks.org/pdf/2012_Florida_Student_Textbook_Survey.pdf

What are Open Textbooks?

• "Free"

• Adaptable

• Sharable

• Instructor Written

• Peer Reviewed

Adaptable• Minor to major changes

• Combine with existing materials

o Photographs

o Music

o Assignments

o Textbooks

“Free”• Replace expensive commercial texts

• Funding from:

o Governments (SK, AB, BC)

o Foundations (Hewlett, Gates)

o Institutions (including “in-kind”)

Sharable• Students, other educators, and public

• Repositories

• Open websites

Instructor Written• Teach the topic

• Frequently in teams

• Students may contribute*

Peer Reviewed• Reviews posted openly in repositories

• Anyone in discipline can review

• Reviews taken into consideration for future editions

Why Should We Integrate • Cost savings for students

• Access for learners

• Customization (revise & remix)

• Efficiency

• Community

• Reputation

First Adoption We Knew About

• Winter 2015

• Principles of Economics (OpenStax)

• Agriculture and Bioresource

• 270 students

• Out of the box

Known Adoptions at USask

• College of Agriculture and Bioresource

• Edwards School of Business

• Department of Chemistry

• Department of History*

• Department of Sociology

• 2015 - 2016 academic year – 900+ students = $90,000+

savings

Edwards School of Business

• Adoption for Fall 2015

• 360 students

• Adapting Study Skills (Open Textbook Library)

As of 2016-2017• Adoptions – Agriculture & Bioresource, Arts & Science,

ESB, Nursing, WCVM, JSGS

• Approximately 1,750 students = $185,000

• Total since 2014-2015 = approx. $300,000

• Open textbooks in production

o 2nd Year Biology

o Engineering Economics

o ESB*

o 2 in Geography & Planning*

o WCVM**

Funding• Adaptations

• Ancillary Resources (test bank questions, slides, etc.)

Finding Resources

open.usask.ca

Creative Commons

Getting Started• Find a resource – open.usask.ca

• Review an open textbook

• Talk with GMCTE about open resources and open

pedagogy

• Talk with colleagues about collaboration

• Think about:o Can I use this resource as is?

o What would I need to / get to change about my course?

o How much change can I do to start?

o Who could I work with on this?

Adopt• Find a resource

• Ancillary resources:

1. Are there existing ancillary resources?

2. Do you need to adapt / add to existing resources?

3. Do you need to create new resources?

• Let me know!

• Let the bookstore know.

Adapt• Find a resource

• Adaptation:

1. Big or small changes?

2. When?

3. Who can / should you work with?

4. What about ancillary resources?

• Let me know!

Pressbooks

Open Pedagogy• Alternative to “throw away” assignments

• Use OER to allow student collaboration

• Students as creators / adaptors

• Textbooks, Wikipedia, other OER

Support• GMCTE

• Distance Education Unit

• Library

• Media Production

• Bookstore

Now What?• What’s your need?

• Let’s have a look – open.usask.ca

Questions and Comments

[email protected]

(306)966-5327

open.usask.ca

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view

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