1. Seeking Alternatives to High-Cost Textbooks
Open Education Initiative
Seeking Alternatives to High-Cost Textbooks
Jeremy Smith
Digital Project Manager
W.E.B. Du Bois Library

2. Why OER?
SOURCE: The College Board Annual Survey of Colleges

3. Why OER?
This shows how textbook costs are affecting the academic decisions of our students. From a 2014 survey of 264 students in courses that took part in our program
2014 survey of 264 UMass students in OEI classes

4. Why OER?
This shows how textbook costs are driving students to seek alternatives to buying their own textbooks including a quarter of whom are illegally downloading textbooks.
2016 survey of 54 UMass students in OEI classes

5. Seeking Solutions Spring 2011
Provost’s Office and the University Libraries of the University of Massachusetts Amherst launched the Open Education Initiative (OEI)
OEI started in 2011 with money supplied by the then provost and the library. To fund grants of between $1000 and $2500.
Subsequent funds came from the Friends of the Library, and the Institute Teaching Excellence & Faculty Development office.
The grants have been offered in 5 grant cycles.

6. Seeking Solutions
The OEI is a faculty incentive program that encourages:
the creation of new teaching materials and models
the use of existing open (free) information resources to support student learning
the use of library subscription materials
development of open technologies
Success Story: Tidewater Community College Z Degree in 21 course associate of science in business admin.

7. UMass Amherst at Work Libraries Instructional Innovation
Teaching Excellence & Faculty Development
Libraries
Workshops for OER, copyright, & Creative Commons licensing
Liaison consultations to find resources and create new content
Circulation & electronic reserves staff help to find subscription materials
Information Technology
Classroom technologies & hosting
Instructional technologies and experimentation. (e.g webpages, educational software, etc.)
Teaching Excellence & Faculty Development (Institute for Teaching & Faculty Development)
Suggest OER when faculty want to increase interactive learning
Support faculty creating new curriculum materials and scaffolding

8. Total Savings Over Time By College
Outcomes
Total Savings Over Time By College
COLLEGE
# OF STUDENTS PER COLLEGE
SAVINGS PER COLLEGE OVER TIME
College of Natural Sciences
4,471
$762,643.00
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
1,248
$163,307.00
College of Humanities & Fine Arts
870
$119,473.00
College of Engineering
724
$132,677.00
College of Education
703
$74,283.00
College of Nursing 38
$2,470.00
Honors College
187
$7,835.00
Stockbridge School of Agriculture
275
$37,058.00
Isenberg School of Management
103
$20,600.00
School of Public Health and Health Sciences
175
$38,699.00
 TOTAL
8,794
$1,359,045.00
Intended Outcomes
50 faculty + over 100 classes taught = over $1 million saved for students. Average of $128 saved per student, per class.
Course evaluations show the same quality of student satisfaction, if not better
Service points on campus are partnering for student success
Unexpected Outcomes
Instructors are using new teaching styles and flipping their classrooms
Increased awareness on campus and queries from instructors about OERs
Professors report students are better prepared for class and more engaged
The open education community: Created resources that can be added to available open education resources for everyone.
Relationships between service point partners are stronger
Student involvement and passion

9. Outcomes

10. Success Stories Carlos Gradil Miliann Kang Hossein Pishro-Nik
Animal Sciences 421: Fundamentals of Reproduction
Cost Savings to date: $7,680
Carlos Gradil
Women's Studies 187: Gender, Sexuality and Culture
Cost Savings to date: $8,475
Miliann Kang
Electrical and Computer Engineering 314: Introduction to Probability and Random Processes
Cost Savings to date: $25,833
Hossein Pishro-Nik
Carlos Gradil
Animal Sciences professor.
Digitized unique clinical teaching material to be used online in a non-linear format for use outside of class time to enhance learning.
Miliann Kang
Women’s Studies Professor
Created an introductory Women’s Studies textbook
Downloaded over 4,351 times worldwide, far over the initial class of 113 students
Hossein Pishro-Nik
Electrical and Computer Engineering professor.
Created an introductory textbook on probability and random processes.
Used his book in 6 courses, representing 6 times for a projected savings of ($87,700); other
Professors are using it as well.

11. library.umass.edu/services/teaching-and-learning/oer/
Open Educational Resources Website at UMass Amherst
Click on website and tour various resources
library.umass.edu/services/teaching-and-learning/oer/

12. Questions?
Jeremy Smith Digital Projects Manager, Scholarly Communication