OU Libraries’ Alternative Textbook Grant is encouraging faculty to offer Open Educational Resources instead of textbooks amid rising prices.
An OU Libraries’ press release described Open Educational Resources as any learning, teaching or research materials that are public domain or have an open license. The resources have saved OU students millions of dollars, according to the release.
“We want to save students money, but we offer a grant program to recognize that there is a labor that goes into switching from commercial textbooks to Open Educational Resources,” Morgan Briles, OU Open Educational Resource librarian, said.
Briles said the $2,500 grant for OU faculty can be used for anything but is helpful for costs related to converting courses to Open Educational Resources. She said students generally can’t afford books because of the cost.
“Even if your class was only requiring a $50 textbook, if a student is taking four or five classes and they also require a $50 textbook, that adds up to $200 or $250 a semester,” Briles said.
The Bureau of Labour Statistics reported that textbook prices increased 40.6 percent between 2011 and 2018. Textbook prices have previously risen at a faster rate than national inflation, according to a report from NBC News in 2015.
Briles said the limited number of prominent textbook publishers is leading to this problem.
“The publishers have a lot of power, and they have one market: students,” Brile said. “Students have to buy their textbooks for their classes, so the demand’s always there regardless of what they charge.”
She also said more professors were using online materials that incorporate quizzes and homework, like Connect. Briles said while these programs are very helpful for faculty with large classrooms, they block cheaper options for students like buying used copies.
Applications for Alternative Textbook will remain open through March 6, and Briles will host an information session for the program on Feb. 22. For questions regarding Open Educational Resources or the Alternate Textbook Grant, contact Briles at 405-325-7998.
This story was edited by Alexia Aston, Karoline Leonard and Jazz Wolfe. Francisco Gutierrez and Teegan Smith copy edited this story.
