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Students are a powerful but often overlooked ally in the OER movement. This session provides a crash course on how to engage students as OER advocates, and how to leverage the ever-important issue of textbook affordability to build grassroots support on campus and gain recognition off campus.
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studentpirgs.org
Building Student Advocacy for OER
Connexions ConferenceFeburary 2012 • Houston, TX • #cnxcon
Nicole AllenThe Student PIRGs
@txtbks
studentpirgs.org
• Students are the beneficiaries of OER
• Faculty respond to students• There are a lot of them (20.3 M)• We need an army
Why Work With Students?
studentpirgs.org
“Student loan debt outpaced credit card debt for the first time last year and is likely to top a trillion dollars this year.”
studentpirgs.org
Textbooks cost HOWmuch???
studentpirgs.org
$224.95
PopularCalculu
sTextbook
studentpirgs.org
$255.95
PopularEcon 101
Textbook
studentpirgs.org
Students spend
$1,168
per yearon books &
supplies
- College Board
studentpirgs.org
250%
200%
150%
100%
50%
0%1989 1994 1999 2004 2009
Textbooks vs. Inflation
Textbooks
Inflation
Prices are rising
4 times
inflation
- Student PIRGs
studentpirgs.org
26% of tuition @ public 4-year
72% of tuition @ comm. College
- GAO
studentpirgs.org
7 in 10 students surveyed hadn’t bought a required text due to cost
- Student PIRGs
studentpirgs.org
unnecessary
new editions
Publisher Practices
expensive bundles
restrictive, costly ebooks
single-use
access
codes
studentpirgs.org
Producer
Consumer
studentpirgs.org
Publisher
Student Professor
studentpirgs.org
1. Focus on affordability.Generally speaking, students are interested in OER for one thing, and one thing only – cheaper textbooks. The key to attracting and motivating students is to present OER as a solution.
Working With Students
studentpirgs.org
2. Explain why OER is a solution.Students want lower costs next semester, not next decade. They tend to fight hardest for immediate solutions: renting, used books, reserve copies, etc. To gain student support, it is important to provide context for why OER is a solution worth fighting for.
Working With Students
studentpirgs.org
3. Don’t overcomplicate things.Most students do not understand open licensing – and that’s OK. Students can appreciate and advocate for OER as a solution without knowing the ins and outs of openness – all they need is a practical understanding (stay tuned).
Working With Students
studentpirgs.org
4. “Open textbooks” not “OER”“OER” and “educational resources” are foreign terms to students. It’s best to focus on the most familiar form of OER, “open textbooks.”
Working With Students
studentpirgs.org
What are open textbooks?1. Comparable: like any other text –
similar material and format, sold in the bookstore
2. Affordable: low-cost in print and digital form – read free online, download printable PDF and/or buy a hard copy for $20-40.
3. Flexible: professors can legally create their own version of the textbook by removing unwanted sections and adding new material.
Explaining OER to Students
studentpirgs.org
Why support open textbooks?1. Savings: professors who adopt open
textbooks save students 80% on average, that’s $5,000 for the typical 100-student class.
Explaining OER to Students
studentpirgs.org
Used Books
Rentals
E-Books
E-Readers
25%
61%
52%
39%
Savings vs. New Books
Source: www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/research
studentpirgs.org
E-Readers
E-Books
Rentals
Open Textbooks
1%
8%
33%
80%
Source: www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/research
Maximum Savings
studentpirgs.org
Why support open textbooks?1. Savings: professors who adopt open
textbooks save students 80% on average, that’s $5,000 for the typical 100-student class
2. Options: students can choose whichever print or digital format they want, all at low costs
Explaining OER to Students
studentpirgs.org
66%Keep Some
34%Rent All
75%Prefer print
25%Prefer digital
Student Preferences
Source: www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks/research
studentpirgs.org
Why support open textbooks?1. Savings: professors who adopt open
textbooks save students 80% on average, that’s $5,000 for the typical 100-student class
2. Options: students can choose whichever print or digital format they want, all at low costs
3. Change: major publishers have a stranglehold on the market, and the best way to change that is to increase competition with OER
Explaining OER to Students
studentpirgs.org
Why take action now?1. Self Interest: if your professor chooses
an open textbook, you could save hundreds next semester!
2. Define the Enemy: this is the best way to fight back against publisher rip-offs
3. Stress Urgency: faculty are choosing books for next term right now, and students are the best hope to tell them about OER
Explaining OER to Students
studentpirgs.org
Student Groups• Student government• Political, consumer or social justice
groups, like PIRG, Campus Progress, Young Dems, etc.
• Academic clubs and societies• Fraternities and sororities• Environmental or cultural groups
Outreach to Students
studentpirgs.org
Individual students• Ask professors to recommend students,
or offer extra credit• Create opportunities for students to self-
identify: sign up form, posters, flyers, info sessions
• Offer internships for credit• Distribute materials to help students take
action on their own
Outreach to Students
studentpirgs.org
Campus Events• Textbook Rebellion
van tour!• “Open Book Fairs”• Panel discussions• How much did you
pay? graphs
Grassroots Tactics
studentpirgs.org
Grassroots TacticsContact Professors• Meet with professors
like “sales reps”• Send e-mail, letters• “Day of Action”
events• Resources/training for
individual students
studentpirgs.org
Presentations• Faculty Senate• Academic
departments• Conferences or
organization meetings• Faculty development
days
Grassroots Tactics
studentpirgs.org
Media Outreach• Press conferences to
release reports or make announcements
• Op-Eds/letters• Pitch features for
authors/adopters
Grassroots Tactics
studentpirgs.org
Campus Coalition• Bookstore• Library• Prof. development• IT, eLearning depts.• Administration
Grassroots Tactics
studentpirgs.org
Building Student Advocacy for OER
Connexions ConferenceFeburary 2012 • Houston, TX • #cnxcon
Nicole AllenThe Student PIRGs
@txtbks
