Building New Knowledge in the Classroom via Student-Created

MaterialsCHIP BAUMGARDNER

PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGYWILLIAMSPORT, PA

Introduction: • $400 textbook?• Is it really required for class?• Is lack of book or material a barrier to education?

DATA FOR REFLECTION

PURCHASING TEXTBOOKS

• 65% OF STUDENT CONSUMERS HAVE OPTED OUT OF REQUIRED TEXTBOOK PURCHASES (U.S. Public Interest Research Group)

READING MATERIALS

• 72% OF STUDENTS RARELY OR NEVER COMPLETE REQUIRED READING ASSIGNMENTS (Connor-Greene)

Textbook costs University of Michigan, Flint• Per Semester• Used books or renting will

lower costs• (Perry, 2015)

Group AManagement $4000

Psychology $3900

Marketing $2000

Benefits of Student-Created Materials1. save several hundred dollars in not having to purchase required materials2. take a sense of ownership in their ability to create material for the class.3. change material on the fly and update it throughout the course. 4. create the ability for the entire class to share, edit, and update the information added to the material. 5. download electronic copies to smartphones and other devices or print inexpensive copies for easy distribution. 6. access the growing volume of Open Educational Resources (OER) in contemplating many sources.7. enhance communication skills and resumes by writing their own material.8. become an effective component of Outcomes Assessment (OA).9. garner feedback and constructive criticism from peers.10. create new material each semester.11. gain empowerment by becoming experts in an area of subject matter.12. avoid the monopolistic power of both publishers and college book stores.13. replace the textbook decision hated by some educators.

Educator Benefits of Student-Created Materi als

are free from the tyranny of book publishers. require students to come to class prepared for activity. don’t have to worry about selecting the wrong book or materials. earn praise by saving money for students. avoid having students inquire of the need to purchase specific materials can avoid using the sometimes chaotic supplemental materials. eliminate complains of not using a book that costs so much money. avoid using outdated materials. needn’t look for a book to match the function of the course. can witness student growth in knowledge, research, collaboration, and communication

that can be critical to future endeavors. don’t have to rush to complete a book order. can create rubrics that focus on objectives of course, department, and institution. etc.

Education System Benefits of Student-Created Materials

seeing the ultimate in low cost. nurturing a move toward student-centered education. offering students a sense of input in material covered in class. updating class material on the fly. catering to specific students in the class. serving specific standards needed for class. creating real-time information. feeling the easiness of use in conjunction with open source textbooks. utilizing numerous open document sharing sources (i.e. Google docs) where students

can build, edit, and change the book as a class. seeing that students can download (electronic copy) and print (hard copy) material to

fit individualized education.

Ideas for Student-Created Materials • Template

• Outcomes Assessment

• Get Students to “buy in”

• Monitor Success

• Free?

• Time

• Groups/Individuals