2011-10-27 in search of affordable textbooks: how oer can reduce costs (open ed 2011)
DESCRIPTION
The average student spends more than $1000 on textbooks each year. Learn how OER is reversing that trend and what you can do to help. 27 October 2011 Open Education Conference Park City, UTTRANSCRIPT
In Search of Affordable Textbooks
How OER Can Reduce CostsOpen Education 2011
Nicole AllenThe Student PIRGs
@txtbks
Textbooks cost HOWmuch???
CaculusJames Stewart
$224.9
5$224.9
5
EconomicsN. Gregory
Mankiw
$255.9
5$255.9
5
ChemistryTheodore E.
Brown
$228.6
7$228.6
7
“Student loan debt outpaced credit card debt for the first time last year and is likely to top a trillion dollars this year.”
The ProblemStudents should expect to spend
$1137 per year
- College Board
26% of tuition @ public 4-year
72% of tuition @ comm. College
- GAO
The Problem
250%
200%
150%
100%
50%
0%
1989 1994 1999 2004 2009
Textbooks vs. Inflation
Textbooks
Inflation
Prices are rising
4 times
inflation
- Student PIRGs
Extensive Research
Outrageous
Prices
$238.95only
used 5th edition
$81.78
6th Edition
$224.95
Unnecessary
New Editions
$213.95
with CengageNOW Personal Tutor CD, Student Study Guide, InfoTrac 2-Semester Printed Access Card
StatisticsCostly
Bundles
•Withholding price info from professors•Charging far lower prices overseas
•Custom and loose leaf editions sabotage resale
•“Cheaper” e-books end up costing more
•Withholding price info from professors
•Charging far lower prices overseas
•Custom and loose leaf editions sabotage resale
•“Cheaper” e-books end up costing more
“Market Failure”
Producer
Consumer
Publisher
Student Professor
Rx Drug Company
Patient Doctor
More ways to save than ever before
Used Books• 75% the new cost in the bookstore
• 60% of the new cost online
• Buy from from friends, classmates
Renting• 40% of the new cost per semester
•Online or on campus (new)
•Up-front savings, no buyback blues
E-Books• 50% of the new cost (in print)
• Usually a 180-day subscription
• Some limits on printing and access
E-Readers• Many different devices available
• Cost $379- $1000+
• Additional cost for content
Average Savings
66%Keep Some
34%Rent All
75%Prefer print
25%Prefer digital
Student Preferences
Maximum Savings
We can do better than that.
Open Textbooks
• Open license
• Free online, affordable in print
• Available in many flexible formats
• Adaptable
Open Textbooks
• Adopted by 2,000+ classes
• Used @ Harvard, Caltech, Berkeley…
• Sustainable models developing
Open Textbooks
HTML: $0.00
PDF: $0.00
ePub: $0.00
B&W Book: $25.14
Self-Printed: $30.00
Open Textbooks
HTML: $0.00
PDF: $24.95
ePub: $24.95
B&W Book: $34.95
Color Book: $89.95
Study Aids: $14.95
Publisher
Student Professor
E-books,
Rentals,
etc.
Publisher
Student Professor
Open
Textbooks
Overall Savings
$100 per student
$10,000100-student class
$50K5 classes
$100K1 year
Exposing the Problem• 8 studies on various elements of the issue
•Generated a TON of media attention
• Congressional investigation
Organizing Profs
• 700 prof letter on new editions
•UCLA math dept negotiated 25% cut
• 23-campus Calstate faculty resolution
Price Disclosure Laws
• State bills in WA, OR, CT, AZ, CA (sort of)
• Federal bill passed in 2008, took effect Jul 1, 2010
Higher Education Opportunity Act
•Publishers must disclose prices to professors
•Publishers must offer books unbundled
•Colleges must list books during registration
Price Disclosure Laws
Promote Open Textbooks• 3,000 profs signed statement endorsing open textbooks
• 1,000+ media hits
•Over 2,000 personal meetings asking profs to “make the switch”
Introducing…
Mr. $200
Textbook
Textbook
Rebel
40-Campus Tour
Petition
• Against the high cost of textbooks
•Great ask for students who want to do something
•Online and offline
Petition
•Not *just* a petition
• Check the box to send email to profs
• “Kill two birds with one stone”
GOALS10,000 signatures
5,000 check the box
50,000 profs emailed
If just 1 in 500 profs adopt open textbooks…
$1,000,000/sem.
$2,000,000/year
$20,000,000/decade
What You Can DoFACULTY can seek &
consider open textbooks, and use other cost reducing practices.
More information here:studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
What You Can Do
What You Can DoSTUDENTS can speak to
their professors and encourage them to consider open textbooks.
More information here:studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
What You Can Do
What You Can DoCOLLEGES can offer
support to faculty interested in adopting or writing open textbooks.
More information here:studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
What You Can Do
What You Can DoAUTHORS can show
preference for publishers using alternative models, like open textbooks.
More information here:studentpirgs.org/textbooks/take-action
What You Can Do
MakeTextbooksAffordable.org
TextbookRebellion.org