Required materials, like textbooks, can represent a significant cost to students. Textbook prices have increased over 1,000% since 1977, or more than 3 times the rate of inflation (Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 2015).
According to research on open textbook pilots conducted by Student PIRGs (Open Textbooks: the Billion Dollar Solution, 2015):
Instructors can directly influence the cost of education for their students by adopting low- or no-cost course materials, like OER.
* Source: Texas Higher Education Reporting Board (http://www.60x30tx.com/media/1412/student-fin-aid-in-texas-report.pdf)
** Source: Texas One Stop (https://onestop.utexas.edu/managing-costs/cost-tuition-rates/cost-of-attendance/)
If you're a student interested in learning more about OER or getting involved with advocacy efforts, these resources will get you started. Contact Colleen Lyon, c.lyon@austin.utexas.edu, for more information or support.
What is open education, anyway? Start with the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)'s primer.
The Senate of College Councils has produced several pieces of legislation in support of OER and other forms of free and affordable course materials.
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