Exploring the Impact of Open Textbooks around the World

Open Textbook Summit, Vancouver, BC 28 May 2015

Beck Pitt The Open University (UK)

Background

CC-BY 4.0 Bea de los Arcos

oerresearchhub.org #oerrhub @OER_Hub

• Open research project funded by William & Flora Hewlett Foundation• Aiming to build the most comprehensive picture of OER impact• Open collaboration model across different educational sectors• Global reach but with a USA focus• Fellowship Scheme • Researching openness in the open

Keyword Hypothesis

Performance OER improve student performance/satisfaction

Openness People use OER differently from other online materials

Access OER widen participation in education

Retention OER can help at-risk learners to finish their studies

Reflection OER use leads educators to reflect on their practice

Finance OER adoption brings financial benefits for students/institutions

Indicators Informal learners use a variety of indicators when selecting OER

Support Informal learners develop their own forms of study support

Transition OER support informal learners in moving to formal study

Policy OER use encourages institutions to change their policies

Assessment Informal assessments motivate learners using OER

OER Impact Maphttp://oermap.orgOER Evidence Report:http://oerresearchhub.org

OER Impact Maphttp://oermap.org

Data Explorer

Project Co-PILOT

Open Textbooks: Background & Cost savings

Educator Sample: OpenStax College 2014/2015 (N=50)

• 50 Respondents in total (have used/use OSC textbooks) • 50% Male (n=25) and 50% Female (n=25) • Nearly 80% of respondents live in the United States (n=39)• Half of respondents work in an HE/University context (n=25)• Nearly 70% of respondents have been teaching for more than 10 years (68.8%, n=33)• Just under three quarters of respondents do F/T face-to-face teaching (72%, n=36)

85.7% of respondents told us they have adapted open educational resources to fit their needs (n=42)

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What motivates people to adopt/use OpenStax textbooks?

“So why I decided to embrace the OpenStax textbook was two reasons. One for me, for the instructor. That I could design my curriculum around it, that I could design problem sets around it, I could design that order in which I teach my subject matter around it and be assured that in two years when the author decides he wants to update an edition, I didn’t have to change all my lessons … The second reason I decided to embrace OpenStax is that fact that, as a technical college level instructor, we are very, very cost conscious for our students … if you’re going to buy a textbook for $200/$250 it becomes $1000 dollars a semester for our students to buy books. And that’s just nutty. Our college really – that’s one of our decision making points when we pick the textbook: is this cost efficient for our students? …”

(Educator interview, April 2015)

What motivates people to adopt/use OpenStax textbooks?

“I think having materials that I could tailor to

my classes was one concern but also finding

good resources that were free. Cost.”

(Educator interview, November 2014)

““The textbook that we had been using had gone into a

new edition and the new edition was quite expensive. And

so we had been discussing whether to change textbooks at

that time and since I had seen the OpenStax textbook and

it covered the topics that we wanted to cover, and the fact

that it was available as a downloadable PDF for the

students, was very attractive.” (Educator interview, May 2015)

Some student cost saving examples:

• Scottsdale Community College: 2000 students, pilot during Fall 2012. Estimated savings: ca. $125,000 (Hilton III et al, 2013)

• OpenStax College textbooks report saving students over $30 million since June 2012 (as at Fall 2014)

• University of Maryland University College (UMUC) report savings of $2.4 million + for students during Spring 2014 (E-resources in 267 out of 1013 UG courses) (UMUC, 2014)

• Shoreline Community College report students saving ca. $162,848 through the use of open textbooks 2012-13 (Allen, April 2013)

http://oermap.org

Do students save money using OER?

Do students save money using OER?

Over three quarters of educators surveyed told us that finding suitable resources in their subject area and/or finding resources of sufficiently high quality were most often faced challenges when searching for OER.

(78.7%, n=37 & 76.6%, n=36 respectively, 2014-5 Educator Survey)

36.7% (2014-5) and 38.2% (2013) of educators we surveyed first became aware of OpenStax textbooks via Internet or other search;

18.4% (2014-5) and 27.6% (2013) of educators told us they had first become aware of OpenStax textbooks via colleagues, peers or other personal connection.

The Challenge of Finding OER

“I went looking for an open source textbook for

teaching physics when I thought about the racket

that the textbook publishing companies are

running.” (Educator 2013 Survey)

OpenStax College 2014-5: Educator Perceptions of the Quality of OER

“The quality of oer varies greatly from excellent to

poor. traditional publishers have always great quality.”

“I do have to create materials to supplement

OER resources. It is work of love!”

“I miss having access to test banks and worksheets.”

“Love the freshness of the material.”

BCcampus Educator Survey: Educator Perceptions of the Quality of OER

Image credit: http://open.bccampus.ca/2015/05/26/early-findings-from-bc-faculty-survey-on-open-educational-resources/ CC-BY 4.0

Impact on Educators and Students

‘I use a broader range of teaching & learning methods’ 64%

‘I reflect more on the way that I teach’ 59%

‘I have broadened my coverage of the curriculum’ 59%

‘I more frequently compare my teaching with others’ 44.5%

“In what ways, if any, has using OpenStax College textbooks impacted on your own teaching practice?”

“It has led me to explore other open source material and other ways to

help my students receive a quality education at low cost.”

“Because I've got a high-quality primary

source of information, I've got more time

to find supplements, labs, to do activities, and to have discussions with my

students. My instructional practice has

definitely improved since I'm not having to seek out high-quality sources of

information and have a trusted source.”

“I use the textbook more during class time for small

group work, since students are more likely to have it

with them.”

“I am teaching the way I want to teach, in the order and flow

that I want. I am free of any text book. The book is a

resource...The book no longer drives the course. I produce the

curriculum. The book is my servant. I am not its servant.”

“Changing to this new book gave me the impetus to flip my classrooms. After all, I was going to have to re-align material...... so why not take the plunge?”

“In what ways, if any, has using OpenStax College textbooks impacted on your students?”

“…Open Stax has provided an opportunity for all of my students to have a textbook.”

“It gives them breathing room. Many are cash

strapped. When they must choose between

food for their children, gas to get get to

work/school OR purchasing a book, books lose.

Having a free book permits them the luxury of

having information at their fingertips, without an

associated cost. They LOVE to read the book

on their phones. I've seen them in the hall,

cruising through the text on phones and tablets.

Sometimes, it just isn't "cool" to be seen

studying a book..... But no one gives you a

second glance if you are looking at your phone!

So, you can be "nerdy" and no one will know!

They love the search feature on the digital

book.”

“The two things I hear the most

are the convenience and the cost.” “Overall savings of $100,000 per year.”

“They no longer struggle with short loan copies

of the text rushing through learning and

skimming a book they can't afford to buy and

they very much seem to feel ownership of the

resource and to value it.”

“They have become independent learners since they have the resource with them always.”

Evidence or experiences to support perceived impact of OpenStax College textbooks

“Frankly, getting students to read ANYTHING is a challenge. I have had some

positive response from some students about the Openstax book, but in general,

I think students get the same knowledge from it that they could from other texts

in the same subject/discipline.”

“[OpenStax]… textbook[s] are of comparable

quality to proprietary material. Since they are

free all students can access them from day

one. No more waiting for the first two weeks

of class for all the students to get the textbooks from amazon, etc.”

“My average class grade increased considerably

immediately I started to use the textbook.”

“I've noticed that, when using an online OER like the anatomy and

physiology text, students are much more likely to take an inquiry or

question and seek their own answers. The material is presented in a

way that welcomes students to explore further outside of the text,

rather than limiting them to it.”

“Open Stax material is a very small portion of my course, so it is not

possible to separate out its effects on student learning.”

“I have had students say that the portability of the information has been of great help to them, giving them far

more flexibility.”

Based on your experiences as a teacher, to what extent do you agree with the following statements?

% of educators who strongly agree or agree with the following statements:

"Use of OpenStax College textbooks in the classroom...”

Increases learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience (69.8%, n=30)Allows me to better accommodate diverse learners’ needs (61.4%, n=27)Develops learners’ increased independence and self-reliance (56.8%, n=25)Increases learners’ experimentation with new ways of learning (52.3%, n=23)Increases learners’ interest in the subjects taught (52.3%, n=23)Increases learners’ engagement with lesson content (50%, n=22)Leads to improved students’ grades (45.5%, n=20)Builds learners’ confidence (40.9%, n=18)Increases learners’ participation in class discussions (40%, n=18)Increases collaboration and/or peer-support among learners (38.6%, n=17)Leads to learners becoming interested in a wider range of subjects than before they used OER (38.6%, n=17) Increases learners’ enthusiasm for future study (34.1%, n=15)

(OpenStax College Educator Survey 2014-5)

“As a result of using OpenStax College (OSC) textbooks, are you more or less likely to do any of the following?”

95.7% of educators who use OSC textbooks are more likely to recommend OpenStax College textbooks to fellow educators/teachers (n=44)

82.2% of respondents are more likely to discuss using OSC materials with their institution’s administrators (n=37)

Nearly three quarters of respondents who use OSC textbooks are more likely to use other OER for teaching (73.9%, n=34)

Thanks for listening!oerresearchhub.orghttp://oermap.org Twitter: @OER_Hub @BeckPitt

Bibliography and Acknowledgements

Allen, N Affordable Textbooks for Washington Students: An updated cost analysis of the Open Course Library (April 2013) Available from: http://studentpirgs.org/sites/student/files/resources/PIRG%20OCL.pdf (accessed: 8 May 2015)

Hilton III, J. Gaudet, D. Clarke, P. Robinson, J. & Wiley, D. (2013) Available from: http://oermap.org/evidence/cost-savings-with-math-oer-scottsdale-c-c-2/ (accessed: 6 May 2015)

Open Education Group’s list of peer reviewed studies on efficacy and perception of open textbooks/OER (The Review Project): http://openedgroup.org/review

De Los Arcos, B. Farrow, R. Perryman, L-A, Pitt, R & Weller, M OER Research Hub: OER Evidence Report 2013-2014. Available from: http://oerresearchhub.org/2014/11/19/oer-evidence-report-2013-2014/ (accessed 8 December 2014)UMUC (February 2014), E-resources project update Available from: http://www.slideshare.net/umucedu/e-resources-update-2-14 (accessed 8 May 2015) Creative Commons logo: http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.large.png

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