Open education resources help make college more affordable

Textbooks and the Importance of Open Education Resources

Written by experts, textbooks can spark scientific breakthroughs, nurture fluency in second and third languages, guide new business ventures, and more.

The Value of Textbooks

“When you think about grabbing a book to read, textbooks might not be the first thing you think of. But good ones really are amazing in how much information they contain and how they are organized to help us learn,” said Raya Samet, librarian at UM-Dearborn’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services.

The Challenge of Accessibility

If textbooks are inaccessible to students due to financial constraints, however, they can’t learn from them.

The Open Education Movement

So Samet — along with faculty, staff, and students on UM-Dearborn’s Open Education Resources Committee — wants the university community to know that there’s UM-Dearborn-based educational and financial support for faculty members interested in pursuing open education, or OE, which is a movement toward free-to-use openly-licensed materials for teaching and learning.

The Sustainable Development Goals

To be clear, Samet said people should be compensated for their contributions toward authoring educational materials. But with the skyrocketing costs of materials — the cost of textbooks outpaced currency inflation by 238% from 1977 to 2015 and prices have doubled since 2001 — students need alternative options.

“Everyone at this university is here for our students. We want them to be successful and graduate,” she said. “But, to do that, we need to remove barriers and make sure they have the materials they need to be successful.”

Samet said the campus community is invested in OE practices because they benefit student learning.

“It’s important to put time and energy into developing the materials that develop students,” she said.

Support for Faculty and Staff

The OE committee, which Samet chairs, and the Hub for Teaching and Learning are available to support faculty and staff through answering questions, giving advice, directing toward resources, granting financial assistance, and more, she said.

For example, an Education grant of up to $500 is open to faculty and staff for professional development to learn more about OE.

Aligning with UM-Dearborn’s Focus

In addition to accessibility and affordability reasons, Samet said more faculty members are using and developing OE resources when reevaluating their courses and class materials to align with UM-Dearborn’s focus on practice-based learning, hybrid course models, and the shift from three- to four-credit courses.

Faculty members like Benjamin Wielechowski, a lecturer in journalism and media production, are finding that they want more personalized content for their courses, and the Hub and OE committee are ready to help.

A Personalized Approach

Wielechowski said he applied for an OE Creation grant — which awards up to $5,000 — when he couldn’t find the right materials for his narrative journalism class.

Most of the texts he reviewed had traditional forms of storytelling, but Wielechowski wanted to include podcasts, “Humans of New York”-style social media posts, TED Talks, blogs, and more. And he wanted the ability to regularly update it with new examples.

With help from Samet and Autumm Caines, an instructional designer in the Hub for Teaching and Learning, Wielechowski developed the digital book “Introduction to Narrative Journalism” on the Pressbooks platform.

In addition to embedded videos and external links, he also included dozens of examples of his own students’ work.

“If I can show current students what past students have created in direct response to an assignment prompt, and can show the variety of ways students have approached it, it just clicks with them so much faster,” he said.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 4: Quality Education

The article addresses the issue of textbooks being inaccessible to students due to financial constraints, which hinders their ability to learn. This aligns with SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The article highlights the need to remove barriers and ensure that students have the materials they need to be successful. This connects to SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequalities and promote social, economic, and political inclusion.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The article mentions the skyrocketing costs of textbooks and the need for alternative options. This relates to SDG 12, which focuses on responsible consumption and production, including promoting sustainable lifestyles and awareness for sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

The article emphasizes the importance of providing accessible and affordable educational materials to students, which aligns with the target of ensuring equitable access to quality education.

Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.

The article mentions the shift towards open education resources (OER) and the development of personalized content for courses. This aligns with the target of promoting education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.

Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

The article highlights the need to remove barriers and ensure that all students have the materials they need to be successful. This connects to the target of promoting social, economic, and political inclusion for all individuals.

Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.

The article mentions the need for alternative options to traditional textbooks and the promotion of open education resources. This aligns with the target of ensuring relevant information and awareness for sustainable development.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

No specific indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: record.umich.edu

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