Group Admins
Description
One of the most compelling arguments for the use of openly licensed textbooks elsewhere has been the reduction in student debt. How does this need translate to the UK higher education context? In UK it is established that students’ financial situations are impacting on their attainment and progression through university (HEFCE 2015), and the National Union of Students reported on the impact of student debt, and that more than half of those graduating in 2015 had moved back home with their parents or guardians in order to save money (NUS 2016). In a prior survey in 2010, the average cost of books and equipment for students was in excess of £1000 (Malcolm 2010).
The aim of this workshop is to raise awareness of open textbooks for use in further and higher education, and to see whether these models of adoption and adaptation can be of similar benefit in the UK. This workshop will provide an introduction to open textbooks and engage the audience in thinking about three research questions:
- What is the context and pedagogic basis of textbook use in your institution?
- What technology tools could be used to facilitate the uptake of open textbooks?
- What further enablers and barriers might there be?
The outcomes of this workshop will be shared back with the community.
References
HEFCE (2015). Causes of differences in student outcomes. Available: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rereports/year/2015/diffout/
Malcolm D (2010). Average costs of living and study. Available: https://www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/money-and-funding/average-costs-of-living-and-study/
NUS 2016. Double Jeopardy Report. Available: https://www.nus.org.uk/en/news/double-jeopardy-almost-half-of-2015-graduates-moved-back-with-parents/
Open Education Group (2017). List of open textbook impact publications. Available: http://openedgroup.org/publications
Rolfe V (2017). Open Textbook Mashup. Available: http://vivrolfe.com/blog/open-textbook-mashup/
