#opentextbooks

[successwithopentextbooks]

[successwithopentextbooks]

About SWOT

We are aiming to raise awareness of open textbooks to students and those intending to study at college and university in the UK.

[ryerbanta]

Open Ed at University System of New Hampshire

Yesterday, June 2, 2016 I caught wind of the University System of New Hampshire’s officially announcement of their open education initiative. Here is the official press release. This story was also picked up by Inside Higher Ed in a very brief news post. So brief is that post that I almost missed the most exciting and potentially transformative element of this initiative.  

UNSH’s initiative is loaded with potential and will be an initiative to watch because it connects Open Educational Resources, Open Access and most excitingly they conceptualize it as “promoting new, collaborative approaches to learning,” in other words Open Pedagogy. I also noticed that in Chancellor Todd Leach’s quote he uses the term “open source education” which has been proposed by others as a potentially useful, relatable way to talk about these movements.

Plymouth State University co-director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Scott Robinson’s quote really hits the nail on the head about what is so unique, exciting and radical about this initiative.

“We have seen very successful OER programs at many institutions, but they have mainly focused on lowering textbook costs for students. While that is an important objective, we believe the broader scope of open education has the power to radically transform higher education, both improving access and making it a learner-driven process that emphasizes collaboration and connected learning. Our vision of open education prioritizes sharing newly created knowledge with the general public in service to the greater good.”

[ryerbanta]

This week’s OER readings

Catherine Cronin’s post #OER16: A Critical Turn

Interesting, creative approach to doing a keynote. Cronin made a post weeks in advance of the conference and invited discussion around her thoughts and questions to be used in her keynote presentation.

Otherwise a nice recapping and linking to many of the presentations and blogs related to this conference. Much to explore and learn about here.

Robin DeRosa’s post My Open Textbook: Pedagogy and Practice

Wonderful first-person account of the process and thought behind developing an open textbook built around student contributions. Most of the text is talking about the positive affordances of OER, but towards the end DeRosa addresses challenges and issues, which I really appreciate too.

[okfncommunity]

Open Education India now boasts a long list of books and educational materials. All contents are licensed under CC-BY, enabling smooth sharing of the works. India has around 30 major languages and we have a long way to go before we have a comprehensive collection of educational materials in all these vernacular languages. However, things are already looking up as we have started to get content in the regional languages too. We are about to take the project to the next level by starting a system of publishing original content from authors. - See more at: http://in.okfn.org/open-education/#sthash.OjlNCrph.dpuf

[tidewatercommunitycollege]

Linda Williams, a professor of Business Administration at TCC, talks about the impact of our textbook-free "Z degree" on college accessibility. #oer #textbookfree #opentextbooks (at Tidewater Community College Norfolk Campus)

[daniparadis]

"College textbook prices have skyrocketed in recent years, threatening the affordability and accessibility of higher education in America.  The average student spends $900 on textbooks annually, which can be the tipping point between affording a degree and dropping out because of cost.  As prices continue to rise, the need for solutions is increasingly urgent.

Recent developments have brought signs of relief from runaway costs.  In July of this year, provisions from the Higher Education Opportunity Act took effect, requiring publishers to disclose textbook prices to professors during the marketing process.  Increased awareness of cost will create an atmosphere where lower-cost options can gain traction.  Concurrently, several potential solutions have evolved in the textbooks marketplace."