An Open Textbook Workshop and Textbook Review will be held at 10 a.m. April 11 to help instructors explore possible open textbook solutions to this growing financial issue.
Capacity is limited and open textbooks are not available for all subjects. Preference is based on textbook subject availability. Complete an application by April 1.
Despite some decreases in the cost of educational materials, the average WVU student will spend $900 for textbooks per year. Over the past few years, 60% of students surveyed said they delayed purchasing textbooks until they received their financial aid and 70% chose not to purchase a required textbook because of cost, according to the Open Education Network, a group that studies how the high cost of course materials impede students’ academic success.
Open textbooks can help alleviate the burden of textbook costs for students and provide faculty with content that can be customized for their course. They are complete and authoritative, adopted by many faculty across the country and licensed to be freely used, edited and distributed.
The one-hour virtual session will help instructors learn more about open textbooks available in their field and how to incorporate them into their curriculum. Librarians Martin Dunlap and Martha Yancey, the Libraries’ Open Educational Resources Committee chair, will lead the workshop.
After the workshop, there will be an opportunity to write a short review of an open textbook, which will benefit other faculty considering adopting open textbooks. A $200 stipend will be awarded for participation and a written review.
For questions, contact Yancey at 304-293-5039 or Martha.Yancey@mail.wvu.edu. You can also visit the Open Educational Resources webpage.