Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 3, 2011
For each college student, textbook costs garner a sizable portion of education related expenses. Whether the student enrolls in an online learning courses or a traditional classroom environment, each student must acquire the textbook to complete the course successfully. Decreases in financial aide and other funding may affect how many students can afford their textbooks which could lead to a decline in students' success in the classroom. According to a case study conducted by John Hilton III and David Wiley entitled Open Access Textbooks and Financial Sustainability:A Case Study of Flat World Knowledge, Hilton and Wiley researched this open source textbook company in its beta phase to see if students would welcome open source e-textbooks and if this model could be sustained.
Posted by: Sarah
on Feb 17, 2011
A growing trend among textbook publishers are e-textbooks. In addition to the hard copy of a textbook, textbook publishers offer online learning tools to supplement the textbook materials; however, instructors are not fully utilizing these new online materials. According to an article in The Chronicle for Higher Education, instructors are not recognizing the full potential of the online supplemental materials to improve student performance in the classroom.
Posted by: Sarah
on Feb 3, 2011
As many states struggle to cut their education budgets, the Kentucky Board of Education called on its school superintendents to consider online textbooks as a way to save money for the next school year. Several school districts are benefiting from the open source education materials as a means to balance the lack of funds for new textbooks. In a news report out of Owensboro, KY, WFIE documented the successes of online textbooks in both elementary and secondary classrooms.
Posted by: Sarah
on Jan 19, 2011
As many states face budget shortages, the state of Washington proposes innovative approach to cut education spending and integrate more online resources in the community college classroom. According to an article in The Chronicle for Higher Education, Washington state lawmakers are asking one simple question: “Why require students to buy expensive textbooks every year, when the Internet is awash in information, much of it free?” Lawmakers estimate the transition from expensive textbooks to the new course materials culled from the internet's free resources would save millions of dollars. Resources for the more than 81 courses covered in all of the community colleges would be capped at $30 per course. Thus, costs for materials would be lowered and money saved. According to this article, Cable Green, e-learning director for the Washington Community College system, declares "we believe we can change the cost of attending higher education in this country and in the world.”
Posted by: Anahid
on Jul 1, 2010
Federal Grant money has been given to the University of Illinois in order to create an "open-access textbook." The school has received $150,000 towards this project.
Posted by: Jason
on Jun 26, 2008
Two Regent University colleagues and I have a new book published today by Teachers College Press entitled Distance Learning in Higher Education: A Programmatic Approach to Planning, Design, Instruction, Evaluation, and Accreditation.
