Open Textbooks

The College Student Speaks Out

April 5, 2011

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

250%

200%

150%

100%

50%

0%

1989 1994 1999 2004 2009

Textbook Prices

Textbooks

Inflation

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Estimated Cost of Textbooks and Supplies as a Percentage of Tuition and Fees

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Publisher

ProfessorStudent

Textbooks Market

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

“Students have more options than ever before”

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Open TextbooksSimilar to Traditional

Textbooks• Table of contents, chapters,

exercises• Written by experts• Edited and reviewed

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Open TextbooksOpen License =

Affordability• Free online to everyone• Downloadable, printable at or

near the cost of production• Hard copies cost $20-30

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Open TextbooksOpen License = Flexibility

• Instructors can customize by adding, editing, combining

• New editions are optional

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Open TextbooksOpen License =

Sustainability• Individual authors• Peer review boards• Gov’t-funded projects• Innovative business models

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Joanne Schwartzbe

rg

Skidmore College

CatTappert

University of Maryland

JakeWeigandt

Madison College

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Benefits of Open Textbooks: Affordability

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Benefits of Open Textbooks: Flexibility

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Campus Action

Open Textbooks: The College Student Speaks Outwww.maketextbooksaffordable.org

Questions