SYMPOSIUM ON

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

OPEN TEXT BOOKS – A VIGNETTE

G. DHANARAJANWAWASAN OPEN UNIVERSITY

PENANG, MALAYSIA

OPEN TEXT BOOKS

“OER is a relatively new phenomenon which may be seen as a part of a larger trend towards openness in (higher) education including more well-known and established movements such as Open Source Software (OSS) and Open Access (OA).” J. Hylen: www.oecd.org/edu/ceri]

OPEN TEXT BOOKS

Two most important aspects of “openness”:1. free availability over the Internet2. as few restrictions as possible

OPEN TEXT BOOKS

This means:

• no technical barriers (undisclosed source code),• no price barriers (subscriptions, licensing fees, pay-per-view fees) and• as few legal permission barriers as possible (copyright and licensing

restrictions) for the end-user. • end-user should be able not only to use or read the resource but also to

adapt it, build upon it and thereby reuse redistribute it, • all of it with attribution to the original author.

SOURCE: http://collegeopentextbooks.org

OPEN TEXT BOOKS

So a working definition of OER:

“Open Educational Resources are digitised materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and re-use for teaching, learning and research.”

SOURCE: http://collegeopentextbooks.org

OPEN TEXT BOOK

“ An emerging development in OER is open textbooks, which

are textbooks that are freely available with nonrestrictive licenses. Covering a wide range of disciplines, open textbooks are available to download and print in various file formats from several web sites and OER repositories. Open textbooks can range from public domain books to existing textbooks to textbooks created specifically for OER.”

OER Commons http://wiki.oercommons.org/mediawiki/index.php/

OPEN TEXT BOOK

For a textbook to be considered open, it must be

licensed in a way that grants a baseline set of rights to users that are less restrictive than its standard . A license or list of permissions must be clearly stated by the author.

SOURCE: http://collegeopentextbooks.org

OPEN TEXT BOOK

Generally, the minimum baseline rights allow users at least the following:

• to use the textbook without compensating the• author• to copy the textbook, with appropriate credit to the• author• to distribute the textbook non-commercially• to shift the textbook into another format (such as• digital or print)

SOURCE: http://collegeopentextbooks.org

OPEN TEXT BOOK

Many authors also grant rights such as:

• to add, remove or alter content in the textbook, often on the condition that derivative works must have the same license

• to copy and distribute the textbook without giving credit to the author

• to use the textbook commercially

SOURCE: http://collegeopentextbooks.org

OPEN TEXT BOOK

“Already, more than 1,300 professors across the

country are using open textbooks - which are free online, affordable in print and openly licensed – saving students 80% on average according to the new report.”

Cable Green’s Blog: http://blog.oer.sbctc.edu/2010/10/howopen-textbooks-are-path-totextbook.html]

OPEN TEXT BOOK

“Open textbooks are free online textbooks that are available for download. In addition, users may choose to customize and to print any part of the online text. In this way, professors can make changes to the content in order to better suit their personal teaching styles. Depending upon the preferences of the original author of the material, it may even be possible to request professionally bound printed copies of the content for just $10 to $20.”

Top Colleges: http://www.topcolleges.com/blog/2010/04/25/opentextbooks-offer-money-savingopportunities-to-college-students/

]

OPEN TEXT BOOK

“ Open textbooks are a long-term solution, because they offer a range of affordable options including print copies, PDFs and free web-based versions that can reduce costs for all students. (from the Cover to Cover Solution Abstract, Student PIRGs)”

Educause: http://www.educause.edu/ResourcesACovertoCover SolutionHowOpenTe/214612

OPEN TEXT BOOK

“Open textbooks are typically authored by faculty and published on the web with the support of universities or new commercial companies. This new business model enables free online access to textbooks. Open textbooks are usually governed by Creative Commons licenses that enable users to download, customize or print the textbook without expressed written consent of the author.”

California State University, Affordable Learning Solutionshttp://als.csuprojects.org/free-textbooks

OPEN TEXT BOOK

“…textbooks that are made freely available by their authors and

can be chopped up and manipulated by professors who use them.”

Inside Higher Ed: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/10/01/textbooks

OPEN TEXT BOOK

Source Funding

Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources: Open Textbooks

Philanthropy/Public

California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) Philanthropy

Connexions Philanthropy

Flat World Knowledge ** Commercial

Kahn Academy Philanthropy

MERLOT Philanthropy

Orange Grove Open Textbooks Philanthropy

OER Commons Philanthropy

Open Textbooks Philanthropy

BOOKBOON.com ** Commercial

Wikibooks Philanthropy

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http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/

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http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/book/2988/

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