2.1 Student Audience

This subunit introduces resources and strategies for making the case for open education to a student audience. Because they're most directly impacted by the cost of traditional textbooks, students can be powerful allies in an OER program. Students often don't have direct control over textbook assignments, so working with students can require guidance and deliberate efforts to empower them on campus. Making the case to students can begin with an acknowledgement of the costs they're likely bearing and and move into a larger discussion about academic success and the unique value of open educational resources. For an overview of the issues and list of talking points, review Bastone et al.'s "Talkin' 'Bout OER" Links to an external site.and BCcampus Links to an external site.'s OER Student Toolkit Links to an external site..  

2.1 Reading "Talkin' 'Bout OER" Links to an external site.1 and "OER Student Toolkit" Links to an external site.2

 

Affordability

The most immediate and obvious issue that OER addresses for students is affordability. Students have seen firsthand how the cost of textbooks has risen to unsustainable levels. As a result, the average student is expected to budget over $1,200 on textbooks and supplies each year, according to the College Board. The price of college textbooks increased 88% Links to an external site. from January 2006 to July 2016. If we take a longer look back, the increase is even more startling. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a 1,041% percent increase Links to an external site. from January 1977 to June 2015, which is over three times the rate of inflation.

Image from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Links to an external site.

Academic Success

These costs have a substantial impact on all students, and particularly on vulnerable and underrepresented communities. A 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Education (PDF) Links to an external site. notes that the cost barrier kept 2.4 million low and moderate-income college-qualified high school graduates from completing college in the first decade of the 21st century. A 2016 study from the Florida Virtual Campus (PDF) Links to an external site. documented the specific harms done to grades and pass rates in a particular course, as well as to students' path to graduation based on dropping courses or taking fewer courses. Florida Virtual Campus completed the study again in 2018, and the following table shows the percentage of students and the actions they reported due to high textbook costs in the 2016 and 2018 Links to an external site. Surveys. 

Florida Textbook Survey 2018.png

A 2018 study from the University of Georgia (PDF) Links to an external site. found significant improvement in student outcomes when provided with free course materials. These benefits were even more significant for students eligible for Pell Grants, underserved populations, and part-time students.

OER Vs. Other Models

In addition to programs that support the creation and use of resources that have full 5R permissions, such as the mini-grant-focused alt-textbook programs we'll discuss in Week 4, many institutions are experimenting with other avenues to support cost savings. In addition to standard course reserves programs, some libraries are developing programmatic support for replacing textbooks with library-licensed materials or offering textbook-lending programs Links to an external site. in partnership with their campus bookstore. Increasingly, for-profit publishers are adopting new strategies to recapture the market they fear may be lost to OER. In particular, publishers have developed what they call "inclusive access Links to an external site." models that provide immediate digital access to course materials to all students. Proponents argue that this model can reduce costs for students. Critics object Links to an external site. to a model that cuts off secondary markets (such as rentals and used textbooks) and offers only short-term access rather than actual ownership.

Optional Readings

Footnotes

1. "Talkin' 'Bout OER Links to an external site.." by Bastone et al. is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Links to an external site..

2. "OER Student Toolkit." Links to an external site. by Munro, Omassi, & Yano from BCcampus Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Links to an external site..

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