Faculty & Staff: Open Textbooks

Summary

Open textbooks provide a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional textbooks, offering educators the freedom to adapt materials to suit their specific instructional needs. Authored by faculty and supported by universities, non-profit organizations, or innovative commercial companies, open textbooks are typically available online for free. They are often governed by Creative Commons licenses, allowing users to download, customize, and print without requiring prior consent from the authors.

Detailed Overview

Open textbooks represent a modern educational resource model, facilitating free access to learning materials. This model supports educational institutions by providing adaptable, high-quality content while minimizing student costs. New commercial companies contribute by offering free online access, charging nominal fees for printed versions, and providing optional supplementary services. Some open textbooks may include advertisements as part of their distribution model.

Key Features of Open Textbooks:

• Creative Commons Licenses: These licenses enable users to legally share and adapt materials, enhancing the flexibility and accessibility of educational content.

• Cost-Effective: While online versions are free, printed copies are available at significantly reduced prices compared to traditional textbooks.

• Customizable: Educators can modify and tailor content to better fit their teaching strategies and course requirements.

Sources for Open Textbooks

MERLOT

MERLOT hosts one of the largest collections of open textbooks, with thousands of resources searchable by topic, format, license, and audience. Their Advanced Search tool provides a streamlined process for locating materials that meet specific educational needs.

Flat World

Flat World offers an innovative licensing model, granting institutions and university systems unlimited access to a comprehensive catalog across multiple devices for a minimal annual fee. Currently, over 750,000 students at 2,500 schools worldwide utilize Flat World textbooks.

OpenStax College

OpenStax provides peer-reviewed textbooks that align with most course requirements. These texts are written by professional content developers and are available for free online and at a low cost in print. Educators can adopt these books as-is or modify them to fit their teaching approach.

College Open Textbooks Collaborative

This initiative focuses on promoting awareness and adoption of open textbooks, particularly in community colleges and lower-division courses at 4-year institutions. Their efforts also extend to K-12 education, upper division, graduate studies, and lifelong learning.

The Orange Grove

The Orange Grove offers a variety of open books and textbooks, available for free viewing, downloading, and printing. Many of these resources have licenses permitting customization and the creation of derivative works.

University of Minnesota

The College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota has developed a catalog of open textbooks for faculty review, aiming to reduce costs for students.

Conclusion

Open textbooks are a powerful tool in modern education, offering flexibility, accessibility, and affordability. They empower educators to tailor course materials to better meet student needs while significantly reducing costs. Institutions looking to incorporate open textbooks can leverage a variety of resources to enhance their educational offerings.

Contact Information

For assistance in integrating open textbooks into your curriculum, please contact Educational Technology at et@fscj.edu.