OpenStax

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-10-24-how-a-university-took-on-the-textbook-industry

Some economists say OpenStax and other OER producers helped to halt the decades-long rise of textbook prices, which, along with other supplies, now set the average undergraduate back between $1,200 and $1,440 each school year, according to the College Board.

Feeling squeezed, for-profit publishers are searching for new revenue by selling colleges digital homework systems that charge students up to $100 for a semester’s worth of access. Since professors typically require use of these tools to participate in class, students complain that they are essentially being charged to turn in their assignments.

First, OpenStax came for textbooks. Now, it’s coming for courseware.

And for some faculty, the biggest question is: What about the extras the publishers give us (like those homework systems that automatically grade work students turn in)?

“They’re not very inclined to take on a new textbook that will require them to change the way they’ve been teaching, significantly altering their syllabus with new tests and resources and ways of assessing students, changing their PowerPoint slides,” says Nathan Smith, philosophy instructor and OER coordinator at Houston Community College, which offers a few “Z-Degrees,” the catchy phrase used to describe entire programs that have zero textbook costs.

“But once faced with intense competition from Open Stax, et al., the ‘textbook cartel’ had to, for the first time, start offering low-cost options for students to maintain their market share, or suffer from a significant loss of market share,” Perry said in an email interview.

For example, this year, giants Cengage and McGraw-Hill announced plans to merge and offer a subscription-based service that combines their digital libraries. Many publishers are also pushing “inclusive access” programs, in which colleges buy access to digital textbooks from publishers in bulk and then charge students a fee to cover those costs.

Commercial texts and tools make it too easy for some faculty to outsource their teaching and course design, Smith says, although he’s empathetic to part-time instructors whose workloads outweigh their resources. Open materials return some power to professors.

“We’re letting publishers determine what gets taught in our institutions,” Smith says. “I think a part of reclaiming faculty integrity and academic freedom—and what we think is most important about our jobs—is to reclaim the control of your course materials.”

results have been mixed, but a meta-analysis published this year in the journal Educational Technology Research and Development found “students achieve the same or better learning outcomes when using OER while saving significant amounts of money.”

SAVE THE DATE: Open Access Week

The University Library is hosting its 3rd Open Access Week events from Monday October 21st – Friday October 25th All events will take place in the University Library, MC 218.

Monday October 21st, 1 pm – 2 pm: Open Access Publishing

We will facilitate a discussion panel about open access publishing / open textbooks / OERs on this day.  Based on your experience with open access publishing, creating open textbooks or OERs, we invite you to participate in the discussion.

Wednesday October 23rd, 10 am – 11 am: Creative Commons 101

Know “the code” to re-use, remix, and communicate with others how you would like your works to be used.

Thursday October 24th, 2 pm – 3 pm: The Repository, Opendora, and Beyond

What is the best platform for your work? Learn about the different OA publishing options.

Netflix in Class?

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-10-24-can-you-show-netflix-in-class-copyright-for-teachers-made-simple

The right to show video in the classroom doesn’t rely on fair use. In fact, there is a separate part of copyright law that lets teachers show video in class. However, consider these four points. You can show video:

  1. During face-to-face teaching
  2. When viewed in a classroom or other place of instruction
  3. With a lawfully made copy
  4. As a regular part of instruction and directly related to content being taught

a teacher wanting to show a Netflix movie would have to log into Netflix using a personal account. The user agreement the individual agreed to when he or she created the Netflix account prohibits showing movies in a public venue, which may be a contract violation. (However, Netflix does permit the showing of some documentaries in class.)

Don’t let that discourage you. Ask your librarian