1. Seeking Alternatives to High-cost Textbooks:
A Case Study of the
UMass Amherst Open Education Initiative
University of Rhode Island
Dec 7, 2016
Marilyn Billings
Scholarly Communication Librarian
University Libraries
University of Massachusetts Amherst

2. Outline National and UMass context
Genesis of Open Education Initiative
Implementation of OEI
Preliminary assessment
Next steps

3. Textbook Trends ‘90s on
The cost of textbooks has gone up and everyone is worried about it. Last year the Dept. of Ed put out announcements regarding the need to shift to digital resources to 1) help alleviate the cost of textbooks and 2) prepare our students to be technology literate. And I can use these 2 images two demonstrate these points because of fair use.
The high cost of commercial print textbooks is a major concern for parents, students, and even the federal government.

4. By Jtneill - Own work, CC BY-SA 3. 0, https://commons. wikimedia

5. UMass Amherst Profile Public Land-grant, Research Intensive University
Over 28,000 students, 1200 faculty
108 bachelor’s, 76 masters, 50 doctorates
Since FY 2011, decrease in state funds, increases in student tuition and fees

6. What are Open Education Resources?
O is for Open – openly accessible
E is Educational – learning
R is or Resources – content
Think Five Rs Framework
Reuse - use freely for own purpose
Redistribute - share with others
Revise - adapt, modify, adjust
Remix - combine / transform to create something new
Retain - Users have the right to make, archive, and "own" copies
of the content

7. Seeking Solutions
The Provost’s Office and the University Libraries of the University of Massachusetts Amherst launched the Open Education Initiative (OEI) in the Spring of 2011.
The OEI is a faculty incentive program (a small grant) that encourages:
the creation of new teaching materials,
the use of library subscription materials,
or the use of existing open (no-cost) information resources to support our students’ learning.
Funded through both the Provost’s Office and the Libraries. Open education resources are resources that are open and free to the public. For the OEI, we tweaked things so that it includes library subscription materials as well.

8. OEI Workshops / Consultations
Two one-hour workshops reviewing available OERs and library licensed resources:
1) library, partners; 2) faculty
Individual consulting sessions for faculty with Scholarly Communication and subject liaison librarians, IT staff and others as needed
Topics covered: OER availability, copyright and licensing issues, Creative Commons licenses, accessibility concerns, creating a sustainable curriculum with OERs, managing resources in the LMS, assistance with creation of new content

9. OEI Grant: Faculty Proposals
Basic course information
Number of students
Current textbook(s) and cost
Narrative (500 words)
Outcomes
Sustainability
Challenges
Anticipated OER implementation date
Participation in follow up activities
The faculty proposal is very straightforward. It addresses quite simply the cost of the textbook per student and what the course is trying to accomplish with these resources. Really, these are things that any professor considers when thinking of course materials.
Capturing in ScholarWorks

10. Partners Providing OEI Support
Peer-Review by:
TEFD
IT Program faculty
Librarians
OIT
Consultation with partners prior to award
Faculty Award Letter
Liaison Assignment

11. Library and Partners at Work
Workshops
Copyright & licensing (Creative Commons)
Accessibility & sustainability
Consulting
Liaison outreach to faculty
Finding resources
Creating new content
Access to Resources
Liaisons, Circulation and E reserves for library materials
Licensing materials for class use
Partners
Teaching Excellence & Faculty Development
OIT Instructional Innovation
Center for Educational Software Development
Academic IT Program
Implementation required that the whole library work together. It’s been really amazing for me personally to learn how different parts of the library are involved in an initiative like this. I think we are all invested in making the lives of students better.
[Click on image to get to libguide and list of recipients.]

12. Open Educational Resources Website

13. Creative Commons Licenses
Two basic questions from faculty
How do I protect my copyright on the works
I create?
How do I make sure I’m not infringing on
the copyright of others?
Answer: It depends.
How do you want your work to be used?
What is it that you want out of this experience?
Do you want others to be able to use it?
Do you want to commercialize it?
Do you want attribution?

14. Content Sustainability/Support
Resources
Support
Multiple Editions?
Navigating Copyright
Digital Curation
‘Free’ vs OPEN
Licensing Agreements
Oh, the devices!
‘trickle down’ effect that these grants have on the Libraries, with acquisitions, licensing, etc. and support.

15. Assessment: Faculty Survey Results
On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest
My teaching needs were met by the Open Educational Resources implemented in the course. (4.27)
Student performance improved compared to past semesters when a traditional textbook was used. (4.36)
Student engagement increased compared to past semesters when a traditional textbook was used. (4.09)

16. Faculty Comments

17. Benefits of Using OERs Convenience
Enhanced functionality, reuse, mixing
Full searching
Multimedia
Linking of references
Environmental sustainability
Timeliness
Pedagogical Implications
Increased control of course content
Opportunity to rethink/redesign course
More engaging for students
Potentially more collaborative

18. Challenges or Barriers
Time consuming to find high quality OER
Time consuming to create OER
May lack prepared tests/quizzes that commercial
textbooks offer
Student preference for reading offline
Longevity of file formats
Lack of knowledge by faculty
Resources
Licenses, copyright
Support

19. Best Practices for OEI Library leadership
Partnerships throughout campus
Peer review mechanism
Assessment tools
Marketing and Advocacy

20. Future Needs Sustainability Copyediting, proofing expertise
Assessment of student learning, faculty use
Advocacy, marketing, publicity
University-wide engagement

21. Questions/Discussion
Contact Information
Marilyn Billings
Scholarly Communication Librarian

22. Why OER?
The cost of textbooks has gone up and everyone is worried about it. Besides dozens of academic institutions implementing grants similar to ours, Government agencies and foundations are getting involved. US Senators Dick Durbin and Al Franken recently co-sponsored the Affordable College Textbook Act which would create a competitive grant program to support the creation and use of open college textbooks. The US Dept. of Education recently launched a campaign to encourage states, districts, and educators to adopt Open materials and with a requirement that recipients of Department grant funds have open licenses.
“I stopped buying textbooks my second semester here.” - Marieme T., Class of 2014

23. Why OER?
SOURCE: The College Board, Annual Survey of Colleges.

24. Why OER?
Here is an example of what our students are facing: this chart shows the average textbook costs for the top five majors and the number of graduates in Note that this is conservative because it is based on an imagined roster of courses.

25. Why OER?
This chart estimates the combined costs of all graduates of each of these majors over the course of 4 years.

26. Why OER?
This shows how textbook costs are affecting the academic decisions of our students. From a 2014 survey of 264 students in courses that took part in our program
2014 survey of 264 students in OEI classes

27. Success Stories Carlos Gradil Miliann Kang Hossein Pishro-Nik
Animal Sciences 421: Fundamentals of Reproduction
Cost Savings to date: $7,680
Carlos Gradil
Women's Studies 187: Gender, Sexuality and Culture
Cost Savings to date: $8,475
Miliann Kang
Electrical and Computer Engineering 314: Introduction to Probability and Random Processes
Cost Savings to date: $25,833
Hossein Pishro-Nik
Carlos Gradil
Animal Sciences professor.
Digitized unique clinical teaching material to be used online in a non-linear format for use outside of class time to enhance learning.
Miliann Kang
Women’s Studies Professor
Created an introductory Women’s Studies textbook
Downloaded over 4,351 times worldwide, far over the initial class of 113 students
Hossein Pishro-Nik
Electrical and Computer Engineering professor.
Created an introductory textbook on probability and random processes.
Used his book in 6 courses, representing 6 times for a projected savings of ($87,700); other
Professors are using it as well.

28. Outcomes Intended Outcomes
50 faculty + over 100 classes taught = over $1 million saved for students. Average of $128 saved per student, per class.
Course evaluations show the same quality of student satisfaction, if not better
Service points on campus are partnering for student success
Unexpected Outcomes
Instructors are using new teaching styles and flipping their classrooms
Increased awareness on campus and queries from instructors about OERs
Professors report students are better prepared for class and more engaged
The open education community: Created resources that can be added to available open education resources for everyone.
Relationships between service point partners are stronger
Student involvement and passion

29. Total Savings Over Time By College
Outcomes
Total Savings Over Time By College
COLLEGE
# OF STUDENTS PER COLLEGE
SAVINGS PER COLLEGE OVER TIME
College of Natural Sciences
4,471
$762,643.00
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
1,248
$163,307.00
College of Humanities & Fine Arts
870
$119,473.00
College of Engineering
724
$132,677.00
College of Education
703
$74,283.00
College of Nursing 38
$2,470.00
Honors College
187
$7,835.00
Stockbridge School of Agriculture
275
$37,058.00
Isenberg School of Management
103
$20,600.00
School of Public Health and Health Sciences
175
$38,699.00
 TOTAL
8,794
$1,359,045.00
Intended Outcomes
50 faculty + over 100 classes taught = over $1 million saved for students. Average of $128 saved per student, per class.
Course evaluations show the same quality of student satisfaction, if not better
Service points on campus are partnering for student success
Unexpected Outcomes
Instructors are using new teaching styles and flipping their classrooms
Increased awareness on campus and queries from instructors about OERs
Professors report students are better prepared for class and more engaged
The open education community: Created resources that can be added to available open education resources for everyone.
Relationships between service point partners are stronger
Student involvement and passion