Open TextbooksAccess, Affordability, and Academic Success

David Ernst, PhD

University of Minnesota

@dernst

University of Texas at Austin – November 4, 2015

By David Ernst. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

–United Nations Universal Declaration of

Human Rights

“…higher education shall be

equally accessible to all…”

The cost barrier kept

2.4 million

low and moderate-income college-qualified high

school graduates from completing college in the

previous decade.

The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED529499.pdf

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$9,000

1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

US Higher Education Funding - $/FTE

State Funding Tuition Revenue

http://www.sheeo.org

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$9,000

1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

Texas Higher Education Funding - $/FTE

State Funding Tuition Revenue

http://www.sheeo.org

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$9,000

$10,000

$11,000

1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

Minnesota Higher Education Funding - $/FTE

State Funding Tuition Revenue

http://www.sheeo.org

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Hours

@ M

inim

um

Wage

Year

Affording Annual Tuition at the University of Minnesota

The average borrower owes more than

$28,950

in student loans (class of 2014).

http://ticas.org/posd/map-state-data-2015

University of Texas at Austin = $27,207

$400

$500

$600

$700

$800

$900

$1,000

$1,100

$1,200

$1,300

$1,400

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

$ B

illio

ns

US Debt

Consumer Revolving Credit Student Loan Debt

Federal Reserve http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/Current/

What can we do?

Tuition and Fees

Room and Board

Books and Supplies

Personal Expenses

Transportation

What can we do?

Tuition and Fees

Room and Board

Books and Supplies

Personal Expenses

Transportation

0%

100%

200%

300%

400%

500%

600%

700%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

% I

ncre

ase

Increase in Textbook Prices

Textbooks CPIBureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/cpi/

http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/freshman-year/college-textbook-prices-have-risen-812-percent-1978-n399926

The average student can expect to pay

$1,225 - $1,328

on textbooks and course materials in 2014-15.

http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/average-estimated-undergraduate-budgets-2014-15

https://www.pdx.edu/finaid/cost-attendance-breakdown

University of Texas at Austin = $750

What do you think about the cost of

textbooks?

What do you think about the cost of

textbooks?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d6HT

N6llgo

The Academic Impact

Purchase an older edition of the textbook

Delay purchasing the textbook

Never purchase the textbook

Share the textbook with other students

–U of MN Student

"I figured French hadn't changed

that much.”

59%

of students report that they have had to wait

for their financial aid check to purchase

textbooks.

Unpublished Minnesota State University Student Association survey

Have you ever delayed purchasing a textbook because

of cost?

Have you ever delayed purchasing a textbook because

of cost?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjaTJC

8zZJ4

7/10

students surveyed hadn’t bought a required

textbook due to cost.

http://www.slideshare.net/txtbks/open-education-and-solving-the-textbook-cost-crisis

63.6% Not purchase the required textbook

49.2% Take fewer courses

45.1% Not register for a specific course

33.9% Earn a poor grade

26.7% Drop a course

17.0% Fail a course

In your academic career, has the cost of

required textbooks caused you to:

http://www.openaccesstextbooks.org/pdf/2012_Florida_Student_Textbook_Survey.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

4IswNs0WWE

Other models…

Where does the funding come

from?

Universities (SUNY, Portland State University, Oregon State, …)

Foundations (Hewlett Foundation)

Governments (California, British Columbia)

Professional Organizations (CALI)

All Rights

Reserved

Some Rights

Reserved

Plus…

With Creative Commons licenses,

you are free to…

Copy Mix

Share Keep

Edit Use

Introductory, algebra-based, two-semester

college physics

1272 pages

Available in

PDF

ePub

Print

Web

Bookshare (accessible)

Instructor solution manual

Powerpoint slides

open.umn.edu

“All this will not be finished in the first 100 days.

Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor

in the life of this Administration, nor even

perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us

begin.”

- John F. KennedyJanuary 20, 1961

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1/2012 7/2012 1/2013 7/2013 1/2014 7/2014 1/2015 7/2015 1/2016

Visits

OpenTextbookLibraryTraffic

-To talVisitsopen.umn.edu

0 05

1

10

48

9195

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1.0-1.5 1.5-2.0 2.0-2.5 2.5-3.0 3.0-3.5 3.5-4.0 4.0-4.5 4.5-5.0

Reviews

Ra ngs

Open Textbook Reviews

Student Learning

Perceptions of Quality

Cal Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Cleveland State University

Colorado State University

Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young

University

Macalester College

Minnesota State College and Universities

(34)

North Dakota University System (11)

The Ohio State University

Oregon Community Colleges (17)

Oregon State University

Portland State University

Purdue University

Temple University

University of Arizona

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Massachusetts

Amherst

University of Minnesota

University of North Carolina –

Greensboro

University of Northwestern St. Paul

University of Oklahoma

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin –

Milwaukee

Virginia Tech

West Virginia University

Open Textbook Network

What can we do?

Take a look!

Adopt if a book meets the needs of you and your

students

Raise awareness - talk with colleagues in your

program and department

David Ernstdernst@umn.edu

@dernst

Slides: http://slideshare.net/djernst

Open Textbook Library: open.umn.edu

By David Ernst. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.