1. What Makes an Open Education Program Sustainable? The Case of Connexions Richard Baraniuk Paul Dholakia W. Joseph King Rice University

2. Open education projects (OEPs) –parallel developments in open source software –free access to quality teaching materials that can be customized and personalized to match local contexts Strong growth of OEPs Different models –open software platformSakai, Moodle, eduCommons –institutional modelMIT OCW –single discipline focusStanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy –commons modelConnexions emergence of open education

3. OEP sustainability Common challenge for all OEP models Defined here as “long-term viability and stability of the OEP” Challenging –traditional revenue models from educational settings do not apply –due to explosive OEP growth, fierce competition for scarce financial resources

4. asking the right questions regarding sustainability First blush question: “How do we acquire an ongoing adequate stream of financial resources in the future to keep our project running?” –leads to tactical program consideration, selection –revenue model seen as central issue –often results in failure Such an approach may be myopic

5. why is this view myopic? Focuses too much attention on the “product” – features of the OEP and technology underlying it Not enough attention on –understanding what its users want –deliberately growing the OEP’s value for various user groups

6. our approach to sustainability Prior to considering different revenue models, OEP organizers should consider and focus on the issue of increasing the aggregate value of the site to its constituents to the greatest extent possible –focus on gaining and maintaining a critical mass of active, engaged users –provide substantial and differentiated value to them –gain deep understanding of the users Naturally leads to revenue-generation opportunities

7. Connexions overview

8. born of frustration – 1999 difficult to “connect” across concepts, courses, grades, curricula –ex: math to science to engineering to applications –grade K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | … | 10 | 11 | 12 | AP | CC | college –curricular stove-piping, disintegration in spite of … –research indicating that study / education is made meaningful by connections to other fields difficult to engage students in interactive exploration –“I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understand” difficult to build communities, collaborations among faculty, students –inefficiencies: no economies of scale, glacial time scales

9. author publishing shutouts 日本語 Українська Gàidhlig FrançaisEspañol لعربية Ido 한국어 कश्मीरी HausaБългарски Česky Swahili Laal தமிழ disconnects

10. vibrant interactive community connected innovative up-to-date create rip mix burn

11. vibrant interactive community connected innovative up-to-date create rip mix burn

12. >>> book shelf closed $ years page interconnected global repository open free seconds

13. knowledge ecosystem 日本語 english Українська hausa français español لعربية inclusive community grassroots organization தமிழ

14. create rip mix burn

15. 日本語 english Українська hausa français español لعربية தமிழ

16. our approach to sustainability Prior to considering different revenue models, OEP organizers should consider and focus on the issue of increasing the aggregate value of the site to its constituents to the greatest extent possible –focus on gaining and maintaining a critical mass of active, engaged users  fostering communities  building collaborations –provide substantial and differentiated value to them –gain deep understanding of the users Naturally leads to revenue-generation opportunities

17. users 1 – communities

18. DSP community stanford illinois michigan wisconsin berkeley ohio state ga tech utep rice cambridge norway italy

20. DSPanish Connexions for the Americas

22. catherine schmidt-jones 600,000+ page views per month growing user community of US K-12 music teachers

23. users 2 – institutional collaborators

24. national instruments

26. texas instruments

27. ncpea

28. “For our teachers, one size never fits all” Jane Goodall International Spokesperson for TWB Teachers Without Borders

29. Vietnam opencourseware MOET

30. Vietnam opencourseware MOET

31. “open-source culture” Jeff Wright Dean of Engineering UNESCO North Korea Cambridge University Press IBM – Sakai/Connexions integration AMD collaborators

32. understanding the users

33. understanding Connexions’ users Authors –main goal not to earn royalty, rather to have maximum impact (traditional engineering book costs $120 at retail, author earns < $5) –diverse: from professors to “shut-outs” Instructors –often have hectic teaching schedule, want a repository of educational materials in a reusable, modular format Students –first visit Connexions through a search engine or because instructor mandates it

34. how to grow Connexions’ value for these users Increase equity of the Connexions brand (by staying true to our values) Content that is high-quality, ample, modular, continually updated, personalized-on-assembly, published-on-demand An engaged and involved user community Site usability

35. Connexions’ brand equity Brand equity = the added (usually intangible) value endowed to products or services by the brand Especially important in the crowded, ever-expanding OEP domain Two key challenges to increasing equity: –to increase awareness among OEP’s potential user base –to create a differentiated, consistent, and meaningful brand image through brand associations

36. Connexions’ user community Key goal:foster community among users OEP communities form and grow through a three- stage process: Stage 1:community as a resource Stage 2: community as a user network Stage 3: engaged, vibrant community

37. Connexions’ user community Each Connexions module has a discussion forum (USU OLI) Authors can create “member profile” web pages to tell Connexions users about themselves

38. revenue models for sustainability

39. Connexions’ sustainability Connexions online –free –forever Offload costs and responsibility –partnerships –open source development of Rhaptos –distributed repository Generate mission support revenue –support core project –support developing world & financially disadvantaged

40. books+ modular authored by community continuously updated personalized on assembly published on demand inexpensive book printing

41. show me the money “publish on demand” changes the economics of publishing impending disintermediation of publishing industry long tail $ Harry Potter Connexions

42. example: RUP & university press initiative

43. closed, downsized, restructured Rice University Press (closed – 1996) University of Idaho Press (closed) Northeastern University Press (closed) University of Georgia Press (downsized) University of Iowa Press (downsized) University of Washington Press (downsized) Texas Tech University Press (downsized) Stanford University Press (restructured) University of Michigan Press (restructured)

44. why? Editorial –manual process –slow Production –small runs (300-1000) are expensive –bindings, color very expensive Inventory –shipped, stored, tracked, etc. Marketing –exposure very limited

45. Connexions’ solution Editorial –entirely digital process –fast(er) Production –relationship with QOOP –book is not made until it is sold –highly customized Inventory –none Marketing –exposure very broad

46. the Connexions/QOOP enabler Connexions –digital publication platform –widely searched content commons –customizable –scaleable architecture QOOP –on-demand press  customers include Google, Yahoo, etc. –book is not made until it is sold –highly customized, using CNXML source –handles billing

47. rice university press Rice University Press re-starts as all digital press within Connexions (2007) RUP is exploring joint publications –University of Michigan Press –Stanford University Press –Chicago University Press –Columbia University Press –Texas Medical Center –National Academies Partner presses are likely candidates for future migration to Connexions platform

48. branding Portal –rup.cnx.org –rup.rice.edu (re-directed to above) Style sheet –press-specific Print options –press-specific –user-specific Press communities –interaction with readers

49. Connexions economics Consortium fee covers direct costs (content facilitation, customization, portal, etc.) –$5K-$50K/year –possibly co-lo staff with Connexions 15% Mission Support Fee –10% goes to directly fund operations  $3/book on average –5% (+5% QOOP match) goes to fund free books for economically disadvantaged

50. mission support fee

51. OER benefit University press materials available for free online –fulfills basic non-profit and scholarly mission of the press and Connexions Connexions users can integrate these materials into their courses –possibly with a more restrictive license (e.g., CC by-nd) Materials can be referenced via reliable links (that will not disappear)

52. summary Focusing on revenue stream is myopic and can lead to disaster Rather, focus on users and building value for them Connexions approach: –build communities –build collaborations –study the users Offloading costs and generating revenue are the end and not the means

53. create rip mix burn

54. contact W. Joseph KingRichard Baraniuk wjking@cnx.org richb@cnx.org