In case you missed this webinar.
Archive and session notes @ http://www.ocwconsortium.org/community/blog/2010/11/22/reuven-carlyles-webinar-video-is-online/
11/24/2010
‘Smarthistory’ Rethinks the Art-History Textbook Online
Chronicle Article
The free, nonprofit project, called Smarthistory, is winning honors and gaining traction at colleges. Its model could offer a template for similar open textbooks in other disciplines.
It seems to be working. Smarthistory, begun in 2005, gets about 65,000 visits a month, up about 60 percent over last year. It won the Webby award for best education Web site in 2009. It has been used or recommended by dozens of colleges, including Princeton, the University of Texas at Austin, and Vassar.
Smarthistory’s creators are really interested in getting more text and video contributions from art historians. But don’t think of it as some kind of crowd-sourced online art-history encyclopedia. Ms. Harris and Mr. Zucker retain editorial control. The content is fact-checked.
“We’re open to contributions, but we’re not Wikipedia,” Ms. Harris says.
The free, nonprofit project, called Smarthistory, is winning honors and gaining traction at colleges. Its model could offer a template for similar open textbooks in other disciplines.
It seems to be working. Smarthistory, begun in 2005, gets about 65,000 visits a month, up about 60 percent over last year. It won the Webby award for best education Web site in 2009. It has been used or recommended by dozens of colleges, including Princeton, the University of Texas at Austin, and Vassar.
Smarthistory’s creators are really interested in getting more text and video contributions from art historians. But don’t think of it as some kind of crowd-sourced online art-history encyclopedia. Ms. Harris and Mr. Zucker retain editorial control. The content is fact-checked.
“We’re open to contributions, but we’re not Wikipedia,” Ms. Harris says.
11/22/2010
Challenge on Textbook Pricing: Supreme Court
Inside Higher Ed Article
Very interesting... worth a read and we should all watch this Supreme Court ruling this summer.
I like this quote:
"Still, the American Library Association made clear that it is pulling for Costco. "Conceivably it would encourage publishers to move in a totally different direction, maybe to become open-access publishers," says Jonathan Band, counsel for the library association. "It's just a matter of time before that market completely collapses, so anything that hastens that day is a good thing.” Band mentioned that he has two kids in college and is not happy with the lack of price and quality options that textbook publishers currently provide. “I think my kids would be perfectly well-served by lower-quality books on cheap paper,” he says."
Very interesting... worth a read and we should all watch this Supreme Court ruling this summer.
I like this quote:
"Still, the American Library Association made clear that it is pulling for Costco. "Conceivably it would encourage publishers to move in a totally different direction, maybe to become open-access publishers," says Jonathan Band, counsel for the library association. "It's just a matter of time before that market completely collapses, so anything that hastens that day is a good thing.” Band mentioned that he has two kids in college and is not happy with the lack of price and quality options that textbook publishers currently provide. “I think my kids would be perfectly well-served by lower-quality books on cheap paper,” he says."
11/13/2010
How to Drive College Costs Down and Quality Up in TX and CA: Emerging Textbook Solutions
Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Time: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM PST/1:30 PM CST/2:30 PM EST
Time: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM PST/1:30 PM CST/2:30 PM EST
Long recognized for their far-reaching influence on education and textbook publishing, California and Texas are poised to be national leaders in efforts to reduce barriers to higher education and combat escalating textbook prices.
Join CA Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez; Dr. Charles Cook, Vice Chancellor, Houston Community College; Eric Frank, President, Flat World Knowledge; and Dennis Passovoy of The University of Texas at Austin for this webcast on new textbook affordability initiatives and the rise of open textbooks.
Join CA Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez; Dr. Charles Cook, Vice Chancellor, Houston Community College; Eric Frank, President, Flat World Knowledge; and Dennis Passovoy of The University of Texas at Austin for this webcast on new textbook affordability initiatives and the rise of open textbooks.
Webcast will discuss:
- Why textbooks costs have sky-rocketed.
- How textbook costs impact students, faculty and institutions.
- Current efforts in CA and TX to address textbook affordability and educate faculty on emerging solutions.
- What defines open educational resources and open textbooks, and how they can reduce student costs by 80 percent, while increasing quality and accessibility, and faculty innovation.
11/11/2010
Open Education & Policy (11/18: 8:30am PST)
Archive and session notes @ http://www.ocwconsortium.org/community/blog/2010/11/22/reuven-carlyles-webinar-video-is-online/
==============
Please join the November Open Courseware Consortium (OCW) webinar.
Topic: Open Education & Policy
Speaker: Representative Reuven Carlyle / Washington State House of Representatives
When: November 18th at 8:30am (PST)
Where: http://breezemeeting.asu.edu/ocwc
Abstract: Public education can and should openly license all digital educational materials created with public funding. Join Representative Reuven Carlyle to discuss what public policy makers can do to support the funding, production and adoption of open educational resources to increase student access and reduce student debt.
How to participate in the webinar:
About Reuven
==============
Please join the November Open Courseware Consortium (OCW) webinar.
Topic: Open Education & Policy
Speaker: Representative Reuven Carlyle / Washington State House of Representatives
When: November 18th at 8:30am (PST)
Where: http://breezemeeting.asu.edu/ocwc
Abstract: Public education can and should openly license all digital educational materials created with public funding. Join Representative Reuven Carlyle to discuss what public policy makers can do to support the funding, production and adoption of open educational resources to increase student access and reduce student debt.
How to participate in the webinar:
· There is no need to register in advance. One can join the webinar at http://breezemeeting.asu.edu/ocwc
· Please have a headset handy if you would like to engage in the discussions by voice. Text chat is also available.
Reuven Carlyle is a husband, father and citizen legislator. Both inside and outside of politics he is a passionate advocate for foster youth, community service, and education. In the private sector Reuven is a technology, software and clean energy entrepreneur. He, his wife, and their four children live in Seattle, Washington. For more on what Reuven thinks about OER, check out his blog: http://reuvencarlyle36.com
· Watch $750K turn into $41 million: Washington attacks college textbook costs
· Want government reform? Open access to higher education
11/10/2010
Radio: Community Colleges Turn to Digital Textbooks
http://www.kohoradio.com/?q=news/community-colleges-turn-digital-textbooks
Attending college in the digital age means never having to open another hard-bound textbook. A new program offered through the Washington State Board of Technical and Community Colleges makes that a reality. And it will mean huge cost savings for students. Wenatchee Bureau Chief Steve Hair talked with Cable Green who heads up the Board’s E-learning and Open Education program. Tune in to the Thursday KOHO Morning Show to learn how the new program is being utilized at Wenatchee Valley College.
Attending college in the digital age means never having to open another hard-bound textbook. A new program offered through the Washington State Board of Technical and Community Colleges makes that a reality. And it will mean huge cost savings for students. Wenatchee Bureau Chief Steve Hair talked with Cable Green who heads up the Board’s E-learning and Open Education program. Tune in to the Thursday KOHO Morning Show to learn how the new program is being utilized at Wenatchee Valley College.
11/08/2010
11/02/2010
Affordable Textbooks, Fall Semester Update
There have been some exciting developments in the fight for the affordable textbooks, so please read and share!
New federal law: On July 1st, a provision from the Higher Education Opportunity Act took effect requiring publishers to disclose textbook prices, revision histories and alternate formats when marketing textbooks to faculty. Our studies have shown that publishers often withhold prices in sales conversations, so the new law ensures this information is readily available to consider on students' behalf.
Further reading:
Analysis of HEOA Textbook Affordability Provisions - The Student PIRGs
Guidance for colleges and publishers - U.S. Department of Education
Cost of textbooks must be disclosed - Pittsburgh Post Gazette (Jul 22)
Are publishers following the law? Click here to report your experience.
Open textbooks on the rise: With more than 1,300 adoptions this fall alone, open textbooks -- which are offered under a license allowing free online access and low-cost print options -- are rapidly gaining momentum. Options are available for several new courses, including Sociology, College Algebra and College Success. A study we released last month found that open textbooks can reduce costs by 80%, which would reduce average student spending from $900 to $184 per year. Although open textbooks aren't yet available for every course, the savings can still have a significant impact for students. For example, Professor D. Steven White at U-Mass Dartmouth saved his students $11,000 by using an open textbook and other open resources in two of his Marketing courses.
Lists of open textbooks:
Open Textbook Catalog, our list of the most widely used open textbooks.
Orange Grove Texts, a project of the Univ. Press of Florida and Florida's digital repository.
College Open Textbooks, a list of open texts that have been reviewed by experts.
Are you using an open textbook? Click here to let us know!
Making open textbooks sustainable: The obvious challenge is developing models that can create and sustain high-quality open textbooks. So far, a growing number of projects have proven successful on a smaller scale and could -- with enough support and investment -- work on a larger scale. Here are some of the most promising examples.
Flat World Knowledge, a startup publisher of open textbooks operates on revenue from optional products such as print copies and study aids. With 25 published texts and 50 more in the pipeline, the company's business model has proven viable thus far. In fact, Dr. Mason Carpenter, an author for both Flat World and Pearson, says the royalties on his open textbooks are tracking his other books.
Writing Spaces, a project to develop a series of introduction to writing texts, uses a model similar to academic journals. Authors submit chapters or articles, which are peer reviewed by an editorial board and published as a collection. Like other scholarly works, these open textbooks benefit authors by increasing their visibility among peers and satisfying requirements for tenure at some institutions.
The Open Course Library, which is jointly funded by the State of Washington and the Gates Foundation, will create open materials for the state's 81 largest community college courses. The materials will include not only open textbooks, but other openly licensed resources such as lecture notes, powerpoint slides and homework exercises.
Call on politicians, publishers and funders to create more open textbooks by signing the Faculty Statement on Open Textbooks. If you already signed, spread the word to colleagues.
Other developments: In response to growing student demand, major college bookstore chains rolled out rental programs at more than 1,500 campus stores this fall. Although renting is often limited to the most popular titles, the savings are significant -- 60% on average. Another notable development is the rapidly growing assortment of digital reading options, including laptops, smartphones and e-readers like Kindle and iPad. Our research suggests that these options might take a while to catch on: 3 out of 4 students still prefer print textbooks, and unlike open textbooks, e-books are mutually exclusive with print copies and prices can exceed $100.
Further reading:
More choices alter college textbook landscape - Associated Press (Aug 8)
Get college textbooks for less by renting instead of buying -- USA Today (Aug 17)
Open Textbooks and the Tech-Friendly Generation -- The Huffington Post (Sep 30)
In a Digital Age, Students Still Cling to Paper Textbooks -- The New York Times (Oct 20)
Make textbooks affordable: We appreciate everything that faculty and colleges are doing to make textbooks affordable. Here are some other ways to help wit the Make Textbooks Affordable campaign.
1. Forward this email or other useful information about textbook costs to colleagues, especially if you see an open textbook that might be an option for a colleague's course.
2. Organize a presentation or forum on textbook affordability for your department or campus. If appropriate, invite us to come to speak.
3. Help monitor publisher behavior. Let us know if you observe any new bad (or good) marketing practices, or if you are concerned that a publisher is not complying with the new price disclosure law.
4. Help involve more students in the campaign. We offer an internship program that gives students valuable experience working with the national campaign staff and the opportunity to earn course credit. Send interested students to sign up at: www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action.
Have any thoughts on the updates covered here? Any new developments on your end? We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes for the rest of the semester!
Sincerely,
Nicole Allen
The Student PIRGs
Webinar : Ohio Higher Education's Textbook Affordability Initiative
Register
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT
11:00 AM - Noon PDT
2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT
11:00 AM - Noon PDT
Presenter:
Steve Acker, Research Director
eText Ohio-OhioLINK/ The Ohio Board of Regents
Two years ago, Ohio launched a textbook affordability initiative under the direction of Chancellor Eric Fingerhut. The value proposition of the textbook affordability strategic plan focuses on improving learning outcomes as well as reducing the cost of textbooks.
The three strands of textbook affordability are: (1) working with traditional textbook publishers, (2) engaging in open educational resources initiatives, and (3) supporting digital literacy workshops and programs for both faculty and students.
The three strands of textbook affordability are: (1) working with traditional textbook publishers, (2) engaging in open educational resources initiatives, and (3) supporting digital literacy workshops and programs for both faculty and students.
This presentation will focus on the OER (Open Educational Resource) strand of textbook affordability/learning outcomes. We will discuss the rationale for the faculty innovator program and the faculty team OER authorship initiative; what we have learned to date; and where we hope to move in the future.
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