open learning through open textbooks
DESCRIPTION
Presentation on open textbooks at the Emerging Learning design conference at Montclair State University (NJ-USA) June 2011TRANSCRIPT
Open Learning Through Open Textbooks
Ken RonkowitzSession sponsored by NJEDge.NetAdvocate/Trainer: Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources oerconsortium.orgPassaic County Community College & NJIT
Emerging Learning DesignJune 3rd, 2011at Montclair State Universityhttp://eld.montclair.edu
Ready or not, Florida school districts may be required to spend half of their textbook budgets on digital materials in just two years. But school districts are reluctant to embrace a mandate they say is too costly and doesn’t take into account students without Internet access.
Tucked into education funding bills in the state House and Senate are proposals that push school districts to convert from traditional, bulky hardback textbooks to electronic books, available on a computer or handheld device such as Amazon’s Kindle or Apple’s iPad. These proposals came after state education officials unveiled an ambitious plan in February to require all students in grades K-12 to use only electronic materials in the classroom by 2015.
http://flaglerlive.com/20280/electronic-textbooks-florida
Pushing school districts to convert
It’s Bigger Than Open Textbooks
04/10/2023 4
Free Books …Project Gutenberg has taken out-of-copyright books in the public domain and scanned them into its library…Want to download a copy to your computer, Kindle or iPhone? Head to ManyBooks.net.The use of so-called open source textbooks, offered by companies like FlatWorld Knowledge, is also on the rise. “Students who are assigned open source textbooks can usually download a copy for free, or they can buy a printed and bound version for $20 to $40,” Ms. Allen said. (Suggest it to your future professors.)
Open Goes Mainstream?
87 90 93 96 99 020
20406080
100120140160180200
Textbook Price Increases in Perspective Percent
Change 1986-2004
Textbooks186%
Inflation72%
Source: GAO
• Students acquire additional debt
• Don’t purchase textbooks
• Take fewer classes
• Select classes based on textbook costs
Students and Textbooks
$238.95
Bundling…text comes with CengageNOW, Personal Tutor, SMARTHINKING, InfoTrac 2-Semester Printed Access Card
$213.95
Used 5th EditionOnline @ $14.94-$81.78
New 6th Edition$213.95
Open Textbooks
One Solution
Introduction to Economic AnalysisR. Preston McAfee, Caltech
ISBN: 160049000X
Used at:Harvard, NYU, Cal Poly, UC-Santa Barbara, Caltech, Oregon State…
www.introecon.com
Online: FreePDF/Word: Free
Hard copy: $15.20
Collaborative StatisticsBarbara Illowsky & Susan Dean
ISBN: 9780978745973
For more information:www.collegeopentextbooks.org
Online: FreePDF/Word: Free
Hard copy: $31.98
I found a text I wanted to use for $47 on Amazon
After searching online using the usual search paths, I stumbled upon collegeopentextbooks.org and searched on the author
My Introduction to Open Textbooks
That title was not listed, but another book by the same author…
cyber.law.harvard.edu/wealth_of_networks/
A authorized wiki that offers his book to read or download for free (pdf), plus reviews and blogs, discussions, interviews, video & audio resources
And materials on his publisher’s siteyupnet.org/benkler/
And the other title by Benkler…
Which led me to…
Is available from Lulu for $5.14 or as a free download
Why leave traditional textbooks?
1. No textbook fits exactly - and it’s take it or leave it. (Although this is changing even with traditional publishers due to pressure from students, alternative distribution options and open resources.)
2. Students complain - about high prices - an average two-year college
student spends nearly 75% of what they spend on tuition on textbooks
- if only a few chapters are used in the course - when they are sent to different places for readings
and materials3. Textbooks are bundled with [too] many re$ources, labs
etc.4. Print textbooks don’t have the advantages of
eTextbooks – but commercial eTextbooks are not open.14
An open textbook is…
Modifiable by the instructor◦ Digital, Modular◦ Adaptable
Low cost to the students◦ Usually free for those with
computers and internet access◦ Printable for “free” or for a
small fee (print centers etc.)◦ Sometimes available in bound
copies for $10-$40
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Labeled for reuse Flickr MrKCools
An open textbook has been…
Changed by the creators fromCopyright All Rights Reserved
to
CopyleftSome Rights Reserved under an open licensee.g., Creative Commons License
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From the Creative Commons store
1. Creators never receive monetary compensation for an open textbook.
2. Written by anonymous amateurs or crowd-sourced.3. Derivative versions damage the author’s reputation.4. They are of lower quality or they are5. Out-of-date (expired copyrights, public domain)
editions.6. Publishers and bookstores are enemies of open
textbooks. (Okay, that’s partially true…)
7. Open Textbooks and eBooks are the same thing
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Some Open Textbook Myths
E-texts (publisher online textbooks):1. Have restrictive
licenses (e.g. no modifications)
2. Still costly3. Accessible for a
limited time period (semester)
4. Usually have restrictions on the amount of material students can print
Open Textbooks:1. Can usually be
modified/customized2. Can be viewed/read for
no cost online3. Are permanently
available in a repository or as a download
4. Can be fully printed for a low cost
Open Textbooks & e-Textbooks
Higher efficiency - use/reuse/remix modules More adaptable to learning styles, cultures,
geographies, devices… (than proprietary files/devices) Use only content is needed: saves paper, toner, and
weight – may also avoid some confusion for students More feedback from teachers and students to the
creators (authors, illustrators, publishers, editors...) for global textbook improvement
Free for those with computers or readers and Internet access & lower cost for printed and bound versions
Students can better afford more classes & other books or materials 20
Some Benefits of Open Textbooks
The Process in 3 Steps
CC licensed by larry&flo 2007 1.Identify Titles
2.Evaluate3.Adopt
Starting Out
Do NOT search hereUse repositories
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Curriculum Committee, Department, Dean or other group that approves textbook adoptions
IT – any restrictions on requiring computer/internet access?
Department colleagues, adjuncts, TAs College bookstore College library / Media center Print Shop Students (soft launch?) Others?
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Get All Stakeholders Involved
Early
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Step 1 Identifying Titles
Full reviews are also available with comments and ratings for each chapter
A system to store and manage a variety of digital resources
Content is ◦ created once◦ stored once◦ used or repurposed times
Facilitates discovery of resources Users can link to OR download
resources Users can ADD resources
What is a Digital Repository?
Other Digital Repositories
Subject Student Learning Objectives Course titles, descriptions Level Format Material type (Quiz, reading, etc.) Author or expert
Search By…
Your discipline may already have selection criteria for textbooks Use standardized criteria based on discipline
requirements and best practices How should the criteria differ from those
created for printed textbooks? Modify existing criteria for modules, e-books, and
other formats
Develop Selection Criteria
Accuracy Appropriateness Accessibility Authority (authors) Content Cultural relevance Currency Easily customizable Flexible format
Modularity Peer reviewed Portability Reading level Usable interface Error-free Timeliness Physical quality
Common Selection Criteria
2 Evaluate
On collegeopentextbooks.org, there are reviews linked to titles that have been submitted by educators and professionals in the field."They are the opinions of the individual authors and do not represent an endorsement of any textbook by the Community College Open Textbook Collaborative"
“The Outline of American Literature, newly revised, traces the paths of American narrative, fiction, poetry and drama as they move from pre-colonial times into the present, through such literary movements as romanticism, realism and experimentation...” Online and as PDF
Check Peer Reviews
Use available reviews Create departmental criteria and
do reviews (add to the online reviews!)
Reviewing
What do Open Textbooks Look Like
Online?
Online version
Download to print or offer
as file
Buy hard copy
One Online View
Sample Chapter
Navigate
Key terms link to definition
3 Adoption and Use
Choose the parts of the textbook that fit your course, rather than letting the textbook drive curriculum design and the syllabus.
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3 Adopt and Use
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Perhaps a Soft Launch Use for readings and
homework only Use only in classroom Use in the Learning
Management System Use for remediation (offer
a prior level textbook) Use for lifelong learning,
dual enrollment, grants, K20 initiatives…
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Alternative Adoption Paths
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From Flickr ronk53
Get Involved
The College Open Textbooks Community is active online at CollegeOpenTextbooks.ning.com
Join In
Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER) 97 colleges give 2-year schools a big voice in open
textbooks and other OER The original Community College Open Textbooks
Collaborative was a group of 12 organizations funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to
increase the demand and supply of open textbooks
http://oerconsortium.org
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Presentations, information & updates http://pccc.libguides.com/etextbooks
Ken [email protected]@njit.edu
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike This license lets you to remix, tweak, and build upon this presentation non-commercially, as long as you credit me and license your new creations under the identical terms. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/