barriers in open textbook adoptions

Barriers to Open Textbook Adoption

Sarah Faye CohenNorth Dakota University System

October 6, 2015

Thank you.

Oregon Community

College Distance Learning

Association

After lunch….

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rowdykittens/8334220943

LET’S FOCUS AGAIN ON WHY WE’RE HERE…..

#textbookbroke

Open textbooks are a solution.

• Introductory, algebra-based, two-semester college physics

• 1272 pages• Available in

– PDF– ePub– Print– Web– Bookshare (accessible)

• Instructor solution manual• PowerPoint slides• 5+ reviews in the Open Textbook

Library

Complete, openly licensed, and freely available

…that faculty evaluate and find to be pretty good.

1.0 - 1.5 1.5 - 2.0 2.0 - 2.5 2.5 - 3.0 3.0 - 3.5 3.5 - 4.0 4.0 - 4.5 4.5 - 5.00

1020304050607080

0 0 5 19

44

73 72

Ratings

Rev

iew

s

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalexanderson/7176605114

With Creative Commons licenses, you are free to…Copy MixShare KeepEdit Use

63.6% Not purchase the required textbook49.2% Take fewer courses45.1% Not register for a specific course33.9% Earn a poor grade26.7% Drop a course17.0% Fail a course

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

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

you to:

An opportunity for faculty.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/helloturkeytoe/4932748746

A whole new world of options to explore.

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/06/image/a/

So why don’t they?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mugley/2966571740

WHAT DO YOU HEAR (OR ANTICIPATE HEARING)

FROM FACULTY?

They don’t know much about them.

They’re busy:• Prepping for their courses• Responding to students• Grading• Mentoring• Research• Grant writing• Committee Work• The list goes on…

http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/openingthecurriculum2014.pdf

Let’s unpack that….

https://www.flickr.com/photos/basykes/7131116

Barriers to Faculty Adoption• Faculty don’t know where to find open

textbooks• Faculty don’t understand the urgency of student

financial stress, and how it can impact students academically

• Faculty aren’t aware that open textbooks are an option

• Faculty don’t know what open textbooks are• Faculty confuse open textbooks with electronic

textbooks• Faculty are skeptical of the quality of open

textbooks• Faculty have limited time to engage in

reviewing open textbooks

Barriers to Faculty Adoption• Faculty don’t understand the urgency of student financial

stress, and how it can impact students academically• Faculty aren’t aware that open textbooks are an option• Faculty don’t know what open textbooks are• Faculty confuse open textbooks with electronic textbooks• Faculty don’t know where to find open textbooks• Faculty are skeptical of the quality of open textbooks• Faculty have limited time to engage in reviewing open

textbooks

Educ

ate

Enga

ge

Let’s get more familiar with the barriers.

That’s where

we come in.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

$400

$500

$600

$700

$800

$900

$1,000

$1,100

$1,200

$1,300US Debt

Consumer Revolving Credit Student Loan Debt

$ Bi

llion

s

Federal Reserve http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/Current/

That’s where YOU come in.• You are leaders on

your campus.• You work with and

support faculty on your campus.

• You share resources, options, ideas, and tools with faculty.https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomicpasko/14139726176

Faculty do know what textbooks are.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/timuiuc/4232485465

• Introductory, algebra-based, two-semester college physics

• 1272 pages• Available in

– PDF– ePub– Print– Web– Bookshare (accessible)

• Instructor solution manual• Powerpoint slides• 5+ reviews in the Open Textbook

Library

They aren’t alone.

Evaluated by faculty for faculty.

1.0 - 1.5 1.5 - 2.0 2.0 - 2.5 2.5 - 3.0 3.0 - 3.5 3.5 - 4.0 4.0 - 4.5 4.5 - 5.00

1020304050607080

0 0 5 19

44

73 72

Ratings

Rev

iew

s

Incentivizing them

https://www.flickr.com/photos/uncle-leo/7439857916

https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/5665492077

A few words of caution.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictureperfectpose/76138988

BEWARE of

demonizing

https://www.flickr.com/photos/post406/242630595

Do what you already do.Listen. Have conversations.Introduce new options.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandoncripps/3156373103/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/

riz94107/3357665840

BEWARE of

overwhelming

Don’t come to me with the entire truth.Don’t bring me the ocean if I feel thirsty, nor heaven if I ask for light.

-from Olav Hauge’s “Don’t come to me with the entire truth,”

translated by Robert Bly

Let the word spread.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcoveringa/3203134555/in/photostream/

Respect Academic Freedom

https://www.flickr.com/photos/basykes/7131116

Leave Quality Judgment to Faculty

PRACTICE TACKLING THE TOUGH QUESTIONSActive learning with embedded assessment time!

What are your next steps?Go home and decide what the right option is for your campus.• Reach out to Tanya Spilovoy

about solutions available through NDUS– Funding for workshops, faculty

stipends, joining the OTN as a campus member, or other initiatives.

– A proposal process will be forthcoming.https://www.flickr.com/photos/dabinsi/3374255830

These are first steps.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thedepartment/110775600

http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/openingthecurriculum2014.pdf

Congratulations!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quitepeculiar/4090855224/

The steps you take will lead to:…students having free and open access to their course content.…students having access to course content on the first day of class.…course content which faculty and students can contribute and keep the content after the course is complete.

Thank [email protected]

@thesheck ; @open_textbooksz.umn.edu/otnetwork

barriers in open textbook adoptions

Education