textbook cost crisis the Open Educational Resources: solving Faculty Development Workshop | October 26, 2016 | Dominican University of California Except where otherwise noted...

Textbooks are expensive

Books and Supplies @ Dominican 2016-17 = $1,790 Source: Dominican University of California http://www.dominican.edu/admissions/aid/costs2/undergrad National average is $1,200

1st Year and 1st generation students spend more than others on course materials Source: Hill, P. (February 25, 2016) Students are spending less on textbooks, but that’s not all good. Chronicle of Higher Education http://www.chronicle.com/article/Students-Are-Spending-Less-on/235340 Data from National Association of College Stores For Fall 2014, students were asked how much they spent on required course materials. First-generation students spend 10 percent more, acquire 6-percent-fewer textbooks, and end up paying 17 percent more per textbook than do non-first-generation students.  Dominican Students -- 24.6% of new students are 1st gen and 22.4% undergraduates are 1st gen

The cost of textbooks can negatively impact learning Source: Hill, P. (February 25, 2016) Students are spending less on textbooks, but that’s not all good. Chronicle of Higher Education http://www.chronicle.com/article/Students-Are-Spending-Less-on/235340

2 in 3 National Survey Data Students say they decided against buying a textbook because the cost is too high Source http://www.uspirg.org/reports/usp/fixing-broken-textbook-market

1 in 2 National Survey Data Students say they have at some point taken fewer courses due to the cost of textbooks Source http://www.uspirg.org/reports/usp/fixing-broken-textbook-market

<1 in 2 National Survey Data Students purchase a current edition of their textbook Source http://www.uspirg.org/reports/usp/fixing-broken-textbook-market

Student Textbook Survey Results How are our students doing? Worked with Chris Antons in Institutional Research Sent an email to all the students with an explanation of what the survey was about About a 32% response rate 569/1800 Responses were evenly spread Across Undergrads and grads Across Schools Across class levels

Low was 0 High was $1505

Average spent on textbooks this fall $337 Average spent on textbooks this fall

50% Won’t buy or rent a textbook if it’s too expensive 65% nationally 50% total responses 54% Undergrads 36% Graduate

54% Undergrad 36% Graduate

20% The cost of textbooks impacts the number of classes I take in a semester Nationally about 50% 20% total responses 23% undergraduate 10% graduate

“I originally register [sic] full time this semester but due to the many books for each class, I had to drop one course, because I couldn't afford to buy all of them. :(“

42% I’ll purchase an older edition of a textbook rather than the one the instructor specified >50% Nationally 42% total responses 40% undergraduate 44% graduate

About an even split 40% agree or strongly agree 43% disagree or strongly disagree

I have taken a course without having the textbook 52% I have taken a course without having the textbook 52% Total responses 55% undergraduate 42% graduate

55% Undergraduate 42% Graduate

“…last semester I did not buy/rent a single text book “…last semester I did not buy/rent a single text book. If there were assignments from a text book, I borrowed a friend's after class and made copies in the library.” Student was able to maintain a 3.4 GPA

77% I have taken a course where < 50% of the textbook was assigned reading 77% total responses 82% undergraduate 62% graduate Students are stating that they wait to buy their textbooks until after the semester starts because: They want to find out if the instructor has changed their mind They want to see if the book is only suggested reading They wait to see if the book is even going to be used

77% Total Responses 82% Undergrads 62% Graduate

“I get most frustrated when instructors assign books that we hardly use. It feels disrespectful. I will work more or take out a loan to get the books so they should be necessary.”

Open Educational Resources

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.”

OPEN Free + Reuse Rights Retain Reuse Revise Remix Redistribute

open licensing system www.creativecommons.org

use © to enable free & open use

most open OER least open Adapted from slides by Cable Green available under CCBY at http://www.slideshare.com/cgreen least open

openstaxcollege.org

Open Textbook (Example) Free online Free PDF Free ePub Print $49.73 Instructor can adapt and distribute

“Number of Students Using OpenStax Textbooks Has More Than Doubled Since January 2016, 1.5 Million+ Students Have Used OpenStax Textbooks Since 2012”

pm4id.org

Higher or equivalent grades Higher average credit load Higher or equivalent completion rates http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12528-015-9101-x http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicole-allen/college-textbooks-do-you_b_8261086.html

How are OER used in higher education?

CSU San Marcos Students saved over $1.6 Million

OER courses had a 70% enrollment rate compared to 43% for non-OER courses. At Tidewater, Z courses fill to capacity at a rate significantly higher than non-Z courses, says Williams. For example, last fall a Z course in Calculus had an enrollment rate of 70%, compared to 43% for a non-Z course in the same subject.

“Rutgers University Libraries Launch Open and Affordable Textbook Project, Joins Open Textbook Network” http://news.rutgers.edu/news-release/rutgers-university-libraries-provide-relief-soaring-textbook-costs/20160929#.V_1NwOIrJpg

“Seven public and private universities in Rhode Island, including Brown and Rhode Island College, have pledged to look into increasing their use of digital textbooks.”  http://ripr.org/post/open-online-textbook-initiative-aims-drive-down-college-costs

”As Textbook Prices Soar, UNC Greensboro looks for Free Alternative” http://www.greensboro.com/news/schools/as-textbook-prices-soar-uncg-looks-for-free-alternatives/article_eec66345-9a80-5689-bc66-799c8a849760.html

“UConn Co-op to donate $250,000 to affordable textbook initiatives” http://www.infodocket.com/2016/09/30/higher-ed-new-open-textbook-news-from-new-jersey-rhode-island-north-carolina-and-connecticut/

Members of the Open Textbook Network

What can we do?

(1) Make sharing easy

open licensing system www.creativecommons.org

Source: http://wp. pierce. ctc

Award winning statistics text Barbara Illowsky and Susan Dean, De Anza College Award winning statistics text

(2) Consider OER before traditional materials

(3) Connect “open” to our institutional mission

(4) Support faculty to adopt, adapt, and create OER

Use the internet to do what it was meant for… to benefit society

Next steps?

The Library’s Guide to OER Found with the Library’s Research Guides or go to http://libguides.dominican.edu/OER

Acknowledgements This presentation has been adapted from a workshop given at the 2016 Digital Initiatives Symposium at the University of San Diego by Nicole Allen of SPARC

Michael Pujals Scholarly Communications Librarian Dominican University of California michael.pujals@dominican.edu