![]() But, it is precisely to address these barriers that we created this platform! (For more information on overcoming barriers, see Irvine et al., 2021.) Why Textbooks? These barriers are real and prevent most faculty from moving in the direction of open textbooks. Similarly, when faculty want to create an open textbook, they often lack the technical knowledge necessary to create it in the expected formats that are common today (e.g., a mobile-friendly web version). Technical Expertise: Once a textbook is found, it is typically provided in a manner that faculty cannot easily edit or remix it (e.g., as a book-sized PDF).This means that open textbooks are often difficult to find and may not initially seem to be of very high quality when compared to their commercial alternatives. Most faculty who create open textbooks do not hire a type-editor to check for grammatical errors or a graphic designer to create a provocative cover they also do not hire a marketing team to spread the word about the book or to get endorsements. Availability and Perceived Quality: Many courses do not have good open textbook options, those that exist may be difficult to find, or those that are found may not seem to be of very high quality.For instance, if a faculty member has to decide whether to spend their time writing an open textbook for hundreds of students or publishing a research article for a few dozen scholars to read, they will typically go with the latter, because their job performance is evaluated based on numbers of articles published, not impact on students. Time: Faculty do not believe they have the time to create or adapt open resources, or another way of interpreting this is that faculty see work in this area as not being valued in terms of how their jobs are structured.Watch on YouTube Why Don't More Faculty Go with Open Textbooks?Ĭurrent and emerging research on faculty perceptions and barriers to open textbook adoption reveals that almost all faculty believe that open textbooks are a good idea, but few actually use them. This episode of the Silverlinings for Education podcast allowed us to share some of what we're doing on EdTech Books. This webinar hosted by the AECT Research and Theory Division provides an overview of some of the projects occurring through EdTech Books. To learn more about licensing and copyright, check out this introductory chapter on the topic. If you have questions about reuse, remixing, etc., please consult the copyright notice on the individual work.īooks that are hosted on other sites (e.g., PressBooks) that we link to may have their own licensing requirements. ![]() Each book included in this site is released under its own license, and some include chapters or other content that may be released under yet another license. We only include content on this site that is gratis (free as in no cost), but not all content may provide freedoms to users for remixing, etc. For a current estimate of our quantifiable cost savings to students, however, please visit our impact page. ![]() The impacts of a resource like this are multi-faceted and difficult to quantify, because it can improve learning, foster sharing, increase collegiality, and provide a variety of other social benefits.
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