1. Leveraging Educational Resources: Affordability, Accessibility, Choice
Leslie Kennedy, Ed.D.
Academic Technology Services
California State University, Office of the Chancellor
May 27, 2014
CSU San Marcos
It has been a intriguing experience to meet and spend time with many of you so far,,, in particular because part of what I will be presenting today,, is on how it is important to network and to make connections,,, and this event is a part of that endeavor, as well.

2. “Working for CA” is a CSU theme
“Working for CA” is a CSU theme. With nearly 100,000 annual graduates, the CSU is the state’s greatest producer of bachelor’s degrees and drives California’s economy in agriculture, information technology, business, hospitality, life sciences, healthcare, public administration, education, media and entertainment.

3. Opportunities for All Students
The CSU also reaches out to California’s growing, underserved communities, [PAUSE] offering affordable opportunities to pursue a college degree that enables students from diverse backgrounds to succeed.

4. One of the visions within the CSU is access to an excellent education for all our students.
With goals – such as
Reducing the existing achievement gaps.
Investing in faculty excellence

5. .
Student Watch: Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Course Materials (NACS, 2014)
Trends in College Pricing (Student PIRG, 2013)
Use affordable alternatives.
Submit textbook orders on time.
Adopt textbooks for as many terms as possible.
Use older editions whenever possible.
Think carefully before assigning textbook bundles.
Do the math before assigning e-books or custom books.
The National Association of College Stores and the Student Public Interest Research Group report that a student spends on average $1,200 on textbooks per year,, and that the price of textbooks has risen more than TWICE that of inflation.
Key points are:
Our students are doing their research and becoming savvy shoppers when it comes to course materials.
Their top concern is PRICE-- in fact, almost 57% of the students surveyed, said PRICE is their most critical factor.[pause]
Price is such a concern for students --- that 30% of them decided against purchasing or renting at least one of their required materials. So, On average, these students waived three of their total required textbooks for fall 2013.
Therefore, High costs have multiple effects on our students’ ability to succeed --- and graduate ---- in a timely manner.

6. Here & Abroad MIT OpenCourseware Project Open University UK
India National Knowledge Commission
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Open CourseWare
Open Collections Program, Harvard
Open Chemistry, Open Courseware, UC Irvine
In order to address these issues, many organizations here in this country and abroad, have begun to explore , develop , and provide access to low or no cost course materials for their students.
Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative
African Virtual University
Rice University OpenStax
Center for Open and Sustainable Learning, Utah State University
UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning

7. CSU’s Affordable Learning Solutions
Accessibility
Affordability
Choice
In We began looking for solutions that would provide lower cost options for students,,, while continuing to provide quality educational course materials.
The initiative’s underlying principles were to continue to Provide choices to faculty and students, Drive down costs, and Provide access to materials for the success of all students.
We felt that any innovation must
be CONVENIENT
make people’s lives successful
save money
[PAUSE]

8. System Level Access No and Low Cost Textbook Alternatives
Open Educational Resources
CSU Library Resources
Faculty Customized and Authored Materials
Lower Cost Publisher Content
As a result, at the System level we are providing Access to No and Low Cost Textbook Alternatives via
Through ALS site, find over 1,000,000 FREE online instructional materials, including over 2,300 FREE online textbooks
Our electronic library collections provide students FREE access to extensive resources
Faculty Customized and Authored Materials publishing options
Lower Cost Publisher Content in both electronic and hard copy formats providing choices to our students.

9. AL$ Initiative Strategy
Enabling Ecosystems
Developing Demand
Creating Capabilities
Leveraging Content Providers
The AL$ strategy builds on providing a variety of content partners by [CLICK] leveraging our enrollment numbers into buying power.
Next [CLICK} we attempt to make it convenient to get access to content, for example, the CSU Rent Digital project provides at least 60% off book titles,, and has developed a search engine which quickly searches for low cost titles via keywords or ISBN numbers.
[CLICK} We concentrate on what our users want ,, by striving to make them aware of the many resources that are available to them, and try to make it as CONVENIENT as possible for them to use them.
[CLICK] Last but not least, creating helpful policies and communication plans ,, and working with key stakeholders and leaders within the campuses,, are all key components to a successful AL$ Initiative.

10. http://als.csuprojects.org “One Stop Shop”
We have created a one-stop shop on our website ,,, providing links to multiple resources for faculty and students.
And, we continue to leverage the scale and size of the CSU for better buying opportunities.
The key constituents in the CSU AL$ initiative are the bookstores, the libraries, the academic technology groups, the faculty development centers, and the centers for students with disabilities.

11. CSU Rent Digital Program
Bookstores
CSU Rent Digital Program
Fall 2012
5,000 Titles Choices
4 Partners
Est. $1.5 M savings
Spring 2014
50,000 Title Choices
7 Partners, 3 Affiliates
Over $2.5 M savings and counting
The bookstores are supporting AL$ by providing
multiple options for students,,, with the 60% off rent digital initiative,,, in addition to book rentals,, and their buy back programs.
Initially, the Rent Digital partners delivered student savings of ~$1.5 Million dollars. To date that number is nearing 3 Mil.
Increases in digital use range from 20 to 100% without fewer hard copies sold. In other words, MORE students ,, have access to materials!
We would like to see more students become aware of these choices.

12. Librarians http://als.csuprojects.org/
Many library organizations are providing access to low or no cost course materials’ options by assisting faculty and students to locate these materials which already exist in their library databases.
(Ann Agee & Christina Mune, SJSU, 2014)

13. LMS Administrators Integrate xPorter (library databases)
Integrate MERLOT (free resources)
Integrate open textbooks
Integrate publisher materials (ALEKS, WebAssign, etc.)
LMS admins are supporting AL$ by integrating tools which provide search features that allow instructors and students to search open educational resources directly from their courses and then post them to the relevant course modules.
For example, the Xporter tool searches library databases so instructors or students can locate relevant no cost materials from within the LMS.

14. Instructional Designers
The instructional design group here at San Marcos has
Researched other CSUs efforts
Developed branding –logo, posters – CALM -
Built a website
Developed a communications plan in order to raise awareness
Worked with interested faculty to research low cost materials that integrate into their learning management system or are placed on reserves.

15. Current CSU AL$ Participants
One aspect of the initiative is to provide grants from $15 to $20,000 to campuses in order to support an AL$ adoption initiative.
These campuses have been providing AL$ solutions to their faculty and students.
The faculty showcases highlight the AL$ adoption stories AND cost saving successes.

16. What are the Campuses Doing with AL$?
Give you a quick snapshot of what the campuses are doing to support their faculty and students.
In the interest of time, I am providing examples of a few campus AL$ strategies,, and who is assisting the adoption process.
“Featured Cal Poly Pomona
(Emma Gibson, Cal Poly Pomona, 2014)

17. Campus and Faculty Showcases
inspiring examples of the AL$ initiative demonstrating the growth and adoption of affordable learning solutions within their campuses.

18. 290 Faculty Made Digital Choices 6,900+ Students Enrolled Potential
$590,000 Savings
Beginning in 2010 , several librarians stepped forward to assist as many of the faculty as possible to find no cost resources for their classes.
Since then, 290 faculty have selected digital choices because of this initiative,, with the potential of hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings for their students.
On this slide we see Prof. Borcoman’s students who choose to rent a digital book benefitting from the 60% discount via the rent digital program and using Coursesmart, an ebook provider that works with all the major publishers.

19. CSU Chico
In a collaboration between the instructional technology center and the library, Chico extended a call for faculty who were interested in replacing their traditional texts with lower cost options to received a stipend if they were selected.
The program was so successful, they have applied for additional funding to include even more faculty in exploring low cost options.

20. Steve Stewart: SOCI 301
Savings, if you can estimate, to students overall students have saved approximately $15 each from Unquenchable as an online book. = Savings $ students will save approximately $85 each from using a textbook 2-3 versions back. = Savings $11, students able to access articles from The Economist via Bb Learn.  Copyright clearance savings approximately $20 each.  = Savings $ Total Savings = $15,600 every semester.
How you are complying with copyright law if using copyright protected materials? - The online copy of Unquenchable is cleared via the university library license. - The students buy the used textbook so there are no copyright issues. - Periodicals like The Economist can be legally accessed via Bb Learn.
Name of co-helper(s), Librarians and/or ITCs - Lots of thanks to James Tyler for assisting with locating and providing links for The Economist and other articles.
At Chico, Dave Stewart gives credit to a librarian who assisted him in locating relevant articles from the library databases.
The instructor also located an online book and used older versions of the workbook in order to save the students’ money.

21. WMST 303: Education, Race and Gender, Dr. Natalie Wilson
2/21/2014
Instructional Development Services - CSUSM 21
“CALMED” Course Example – WMST 303
CALMED course
WMST 303: Education, Race and Gender, Dr. Natalie Wilson
Breaking Bad Habits of Race and Gender 24.95
Pearson Custom Book 24.65
OER videos, websites, and organizational publications (eg FMF’s report on gender equity and education)
Library Materials including Course Reserves, journal articles, and Media Library Holdings
Total: $49.60
Savings: $111.90
(x40 students = $4,467)
Reconstructing Gender $90.26
Troubling Education $49.95
Teaching to Transgress $21.36
Total: $161.50
On your campus - An example of locating low cost learning materials was working with Dr. Wilson’s course where the materials originally cost $ per student and through locating alternative readings and media from equivalent resources thereby reduced the materials cost to $49.60 per student.

22. Cal Poly Pomona has been implementing affordable learning solutions by:
Facilitating workshops/training sessions
More actively promoting the use of MERLOT and other Open Educational Resources (OER)
Increasing participation in “featured faculty” program

23. One of their featured faculty in geography and anthropology dept
One of their featured faculty in geography and anthropology dept. reports that in selecting a book that is available to students through Coursesmart which provides digital versions of many titles, with the CSU 60% pricing, the students have saved $75.00.

24. Examples of course materials savings come by way of an instructor adopting open source textbooks from MERLOT.

25. An English faculty member located free digital editions from various free textbook sites. The students saved between $62 to $165 depending on whether or not they chose to purchase the digital version of the text.
This reinforces the AL$ strategy to provide choice as much as possible especially for students who are still getting used to digital texts.
A few years ago, we conducted a survey of students who had used etexts on five campuses, and the feed back was that 1/3 liked using digital materials, 1/3 weren’t sure, and 1/3 only wanted to use print. As our students become more comfortable with manipulating ereaders and texts in general, they will need support on how to use them – possibly through workshop or the instructor spending time at the beginning of the term on this issue.

26. In the CSU AL$ ecosystem, San Jose is best known for their work on a “Textbooks Available as eBooks in the Library” list. Initially, their librarian dean asked the Bookstore if they would consider sharing with the library, the list of textbooks ordered by campus faculty. Once the bookstore provided the list of books, the library’s Technical Services department matched the list of textbooks to the library’s collection of ebooks to see if any of the titles required by faculty were available in the library. A total of 126 titles matched and the list was born.
The librarians were then able to track the usage statistics for these 126 ebooks, and their usage increased by 794% over the course of the semester. These books were required or supplementary textbooks for classes that had a combined total enrollment of more than 1,700 students. Using these enrollment figures and our usage statistics, we estimated that the Textbooks Available as eBooks in the Library list saved students $51,588 in the spring semester.

27. Tennessee Board of Regent’s Implementation

28. Oklahoma’s AL$ Implementation

29. The University System of Georgia’s Implementation

30. State University of New York System (SUNY)
joining AL$ this summer

31. Open Educational Resources

32. Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
The CSU’s free resource tool is MERLOT.
It is a free & open community for all who use, share, advise & evaluate online teaching & learning materials,, and has been growing since 1997… As a result, it has over 100,000 members from around the world and it continues to grow.
MERLOT provides free digital library and educational support services for online and face-to-face teaching and learning. There are over 40,000 open educational resources available ,, and it continues to expand.
MERLOT is also a consortium of higher education institutions, professional societies, digital libraries, corporations, and other organizations collaboratively “putting educational innovations into practice.”

33. CA Higher Ed Initiative
CA Open Educational Resources Council (COERC)
Select & review open textbooks
CA Open Online Library (COOL)
Catalog open textbooks
Create eportfolios focused on faculty open textbook adoption
The AL$ team is leading the CA open educational resources council project which was established on two CA senate bills – establishing a faculty collaboration of community college, CSU, and UC faculty – to review and select open textbooks for specific,,, mostly high impact instructional areas,,, for example, high demand courses such as biology, us history, psych., and physics.
The Council is focusing on how selected open textbooks can meet course pedagogical effectiveness and student learning outcomes within their segments.
Other criteria for selecting an open textbook are ease of use, accuracy, and student engagement.

34. The Council’s reviews will be included in a digital library which will provide the search, cataloging, and reviews for these open textbooks.
In addition, the project is creating eportfolios or portraits of instructor’s who have adopted the selected open textbooks.
So stay tuned. For more information -

35. WHAT IS THE COMPETITION FOR ATTENTION?
AL$ Drivers
Affordability (MD)
Higher Education Opportunity Act (CD)
Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act (CD)
Consumer demands (MD)
Learning outcomes (CD)
WHAT IS THE COMPETITION FOR ATTENTION?
(MD= Market Driver CD=Compliance Driver)
Based on our experience, the following topics have helped drive attention for
Access to higher ed dependent on a “Total Cost of Education“ (MD)
Cost transparency that requires changes in campus business practices (CD)
timely delivery of accessible content to students with disabilities (CD)
Student and faculty demands for digital services & products (MD)
Meeting and improving upon student learning outcomes for accreditation (CD)

36. Next Steps Grow exemplary practices faculty showcases
Focus on mobile and work with students
Aggregate digital offerings and savings
Explore adaptive learning options and possible discounts
Continue to develop a repository of open education materials
The future goals of this initiative are to continue to provide high quality affordable course materials,,
and to help students feel comfortable using the them so that they can continue to be successful.

37. Thank you Leslie Kennedy Director, Affordable Learning Solutions
California State University, Office of the Chancellor
(562)