An Open Textbook System to tackle Hong Kong’s

textbook problem

Dr K S Yuen and Dr K C Li

Outline

Outgrowths of OER OER Universities Open Textbooks

Hong Kong’s textbooks problem The government’s solutionsOur proposed solution An online open textbook platform Online textbooks and teaching materials Quality assurance Community and capacity building

1. Online courses based on open courseware:Coursera; Udacity: MITx, edX, OERu

2. Open textbooks projects:College Open Textbooks; Connexions; California Free Digital Textbooks Initiative; Open Access Textbooks; Flat World Knowledge

Outgrowths

Problems of Textbooks in Hong Kong

Problems of printed textbooks

There was a heated debate about textbooks in Hong Kong in the past months. The focus was on the high price.

Problems of printed textbooks

Is it all about money?

Problems of printed textbooks

Not flexible for specific needs

Vetting process too rigid: meeting deadlines

Heavy upfront investment; specialized development teams; lengthy production

Teachers developing own materials are lone rangers

Publishers do not wish to go online

Problems of printed textbooks

Students are not provided

with e-versions of

textbooks

The government’s solution

In 2008, a Working Group on Textbooks and e-Learning Resources was set up to work on possible solutions.

The government’s solution

2009 solution:

Grants to encourage schools and publishersto develop e-learning resources;

HKEdCity to set up an e-commerce platformto sell e-learning resources

Push for debundling of textbooks and teaching and learning materials

The government’s solution

Result:

More e-learning resources are used in classrooms, but they do not replace the textbooks;

Textbook prices still on the rise in 2010-11;

Resistance by publishers on debundling oftextbooks and teaching and learning materials.

The government’s solution

A Task Force to review learning and teaching materials was formed in early 2011.

A report was produced in December 2011.

The government’s solution

2012 solution:

e-Textbook Market Development Scheme(EMADS) which facilitates, through subsidy, the development of a new, healthy, rich and sustainable e-textbook market.

The government’s solution

Can EMADS solve Hong Kong problems?

We have to wait and see.

Debundling does not lead to drop in textbook prices

EMADS’s view of e-textbooks is more on theenhanced e-book versions.

It does not place emphasis on the printed versions.

Textbook in e-book format

The government’s solution

E-textbooks will take a long time to replacethe printed books.

Infrastructure and individual equipment have to be in place for extensive use of e-books.

Inexpensive e-textbooks cannot be guaranteed when government subsidy is withdrawn.

Our proposal

An open textbook system Based on the concept and

practice of open textbooks The aim is to produce open

source textbooks which are free, flexible, and current, for use by schools and universities

An open textbook systemThe textbooks provided: are less expensive allow fast revision and updates allow transparent peer and user quality

assurance allow easy adaptation

and modification

An open textbook systemThe textbooks provided: are digitized for online and mobile

learning Available for use along with multimedia

and online materials

An open textbook system An online open textbook

platform Online (printable)

textbooks and teaching materials

Quality assurance Community and capacity

building

A repository for hosting textbooks and associated learning resources

Users can browse, download, revise, remix, re-create and upload materials

Users can download and print the (customized textbooks)

An open textbook platform

12 open textbooks on English language in accordance to EDB syllabuses at the school level

Over 100 university level open textbooks

Course materials for the new Yijin programme

OUHK courseware

Open textbooks and teaching materials

Selecting existing open textbooks from the Internet, and modifying them to suit Hong Kong needs

Enlisting the support of practitioners

Employing professionals and experts

Joint development with others

Modus operandi

A team of editors and educational technologists to monitor the development process

Subject experts to review items

Quality assurance: internal

Peer review Vetting by Review

Panels of EDB Open review and rating

by users: teachers, parents and students

Systematic evaluation and research

Quality assurance: external

A consortium made up of beneficiary educational institutions to monitor development

Contributors and users form a community to share experience

Individuals will be invited to join the team of contributors

Community and capacity building

In the long run, the project will become a public platform, for enthusiasts to contribute freely, and for use by teachers and students.

The expanding community and capacity thus generated will determine the project’s future quality standards and requirements, and in turn will lead to the continuous maintenance and improvement of the contents.

Conclusion