I recently started it and it’s basically a democratic, interactive site that mantains a database of all the best places to buy and sell textbooks on the web in addition to textbook alternatives like e-textbooks. Students can vote on which sites that have had the best experiences with, leave reviews, etc. Let me know what you think of it. I also follow all the current news on textbooks and encourage students to post their tips, tricks and opinions on how to save in the sites forum.

There are some more resources on the site, but you can just check it out and let me know what you think and how you think I could improve it…

In other words, assuming that faculty can obtain content from a variety of open sources such as:

- the UKOU’s Open Content Initiative (http://oci.open.ac.uk/)

- MIT’s Open CourseWare initiative (http://ocw.mit.edu/)

what can we do to encourage faculty to use these resources as alternatives to commercial textbooks.

In my initial two articles on creative commons textbooks, I explore a “global model”
that calls for creating a coalition of schools that would commission the development of content that could be used as a substitute for commercial textbooks.

The links for these articles are at:

The Case for Creative Commons Textbooks (2005-08-15)
http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Fall2005/opentextbook.html

The Case for Creative Commons Textbooks (2005-04-07)
http://www.cetis.ac.uk/content2/20050407015813

However, in my latest article,

The Economic Case for Creative Commons Textbooks
http://www.campus-technology.com/print.asp?ID=11891

I also discuss three “local models” to encourage faculty
adoption of open content resources as substitutes for
commercial textbooks:

1. the Jawbone – a simple library resource model that assumes that if
we build it and if we tell them about it (jawbone them) then they will come.

2. the Stick – an administrative fiat model where we tell faculty they
have to use open content as a substitute for commercial textbooks.
This model may be used where students simply cannot afford
commercial textbooks

3. the Carrot – a fiancial incentives model that would involve student
fees and faculty stipends.

Here are some notes on these local models might play out:

1. The Jawbone – a Library Resource Model

a. Open content is made available as a library resource.

b. Faculty are completely free to “opt-out� and select commercial textbooks.

c. Problem: What if they build it and nobody comes?

2. The Stick – an Administrative Fiat Model

a. How are student in Namibia supposed to pay for $300 textbooks?

b. In developing countries, administrators may simply require
the use of creative commons content.

3. The Carrot – a Financial Incentives Model

a. A school Identifies 100 large courses that use textbooks
and that map well to the available open content.

b. Determine how much students currently spend on
these courses (e.g. $500/yr for commercial textbooks).

c. Establish a course material fund with a fee that is some
percentage of this cost (i.e. a 100% fee would be $500/year).

– A lower percentage fee would save students money.

– A higher percentage would give the university more money to work with.

– So, Ivy League schools may charge a 100% fee

– Community colleges may charge a small fee.

– Some schools may charge a 100% fee, but then
offer patronage refunds to students.

d. Students would not be required to purchase textbooks
from the bookstore for the courses covered by the course material fund.

e. Faculty would be free to assign commercial textbooks,
and if they do the cost would be covered by the fund.

f. If faculty use Open content, then the money that would
otherwise be spent on textbooks could be used to customize
the content (e.g. faculty stipends).

g. Unused funds would be returned to students as a “patronage refund.�

h. The customized content faculty are paid to develop
would be placed in the creative commons.

Here’s our take on news that matters for Friday, February 10. Today’s theme is giving in (sort of), and here are a some links to headlines about technology that is changing the way we live and learn.

Gaming — Microsoft has announced that it will…

Here’s our take on news that matters for Thursday, February 9. Today’s theme is moving on (a tribute to Will Richardson) , and here are a some links to headlines about technology that is changing the way we live and learn.

Gaming — EVE Online c…

dave.

I also know instructors who self publish, have their texts adopted by other institutions, and make a tidy sum. They figured out how to play the system and they are not anxious to make their texts available at little or no cost. Is this a problem? In mind it is. But I am literally “fighting the system.”