2011-10-27 in search of affordable textbooks: how oer can reduce costs (open ed 2011)

In Search of Affordable Textbooks

How OER Can Reduce CostsOpen Education 2011

Nicole AllenThe Student PIRGs

www.maketextbooksaffordable.orgnicole@studentpirgs.org

@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