Open source textbooks grow in popularity

Universities around the world are paying attention to affordable alternatives to traditional textbooks as their costs rise, and open education resources are becoming a popular option. eCampus News reports the movement toward open source content has made “rapid gains” in the past year, often at the urging of students, however, challenges include a lack of relevant resources for higher-level courses and buy-in among faculty. Legislators in America are now considering laws that incentivise the expansion of open source textbooks or require additional study and support of them, while the body of high-quality open source content continues to grow to fill demand.

Open textbooks are growing in popularity as university administrators see them as a way to increase affordability

The standard textbook for Fundamentals of General Chemistry I at the University of Connecticut has a list price of $303. For students who use the version professor Edward Neth is preparing for the fall semester, the cost will be zero.

An early adopter of open source textbooks, Neth said he turned to the new technology out of frustration with spiraling prices of commercial textbooks.

“It’s seeing the costs go up every semester and almost feeling powerless,” Neth said.

Universities and state governments are lining up behind the cause as a way to make college more affordable. The open textbooks, produced with publicly available material, are issued to students for free or a small fraction of the hundreds of dollars they typically spend annually on books.

The movement has made rapid gains over the past year, often driven by students, such as UConn activists who sparked a campaign that led to state legislation last year endorsing open-source materials.

But commercial texts won’t go the way of chalkboards anytime soon. Proponents say hurdles include awareness among faculty members and the still-limited availability of material for courses that go beyond introductory levels.