Open textbook

The term Open Textbook describes a freely available textbook . It is usually provided online by authors or publishers. In contrast to normal textbooks, the free licensing model allows the user to read, download or sometimes print out at no additional cost. Some types of licensing also offer users the option of using alternative formats at low cost instead of free online access. This (for example for print, audio or e-book formats) can then serve to provide the authors with a modest fee or to contribute to the publication costs.

Open textbooks are increasingly seen as a possible solution to some of the problems faced by traditional textbook publishing. In the 2010 Horizon Report of the New Media Consortium , they were identified as a component of the implementation of open content in higher education.

Open Textbooks are part of Open Educational Resources .

definition

In order for a textbook to be called an Open Textbook, it must be licensed in such a way that it grants users some basic rights that go beyond normal copyright law. A license or a list of permissions must be clearly indicated by the author.

In general, users are granted at least the following rights:

• The textbook may be used without donations to the author.
• The textbook may be copied if the author is appropriately mentioned.
• The textbook may be passed on for non-commercial purposes.
• The textbook may be converted into other formats (e.g. in print or other digital formats).

Many authors grant additional rights such as:

• Add, remove, or change textbook content, often on condition that such derivative works maintain the same license.
• To copy and pass on the textbook without mentioning the author.
• To use the textbook for commercial purposes.

An example from the Community College Open Textbook Collaborative describes the requirements for an Open Textbook as: almost or completely free; easy to use, receive and share; content adaptable so that teachers can adapt the content; printable; and accessible to work with assistive technology for disabled learners, including those with learning disabilities.

The CK-12 Foundation relies on similar standards, but must continue to ensure that the offers meet government requirements.

Teaching

Open Textbooks are far more flexible than traditional textbooks, which gives teachers more options to use them better tailored to their teaching needs.

A common problem with traditional textbooks is the frequency with which new editions appear. These make it necessary to adapt the curriculum to the new book. An Open Textbook, on the other hand, is available indefinitely, so that the teachers only have to change the editions if they consider it necessary.

Because many Open Textbooks allow content to be adapted, teachers can tailor it better to the requirements of the respective course. Furthermore, the cost of textbooks may affect the quality of teaching if learners are unable to purchase the materials they need.

Licensing models

The most common free licenses are:

• Creative Commons Attribution [1]
• Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike [2]
• Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike [3]
• GNU Free Documentation License [4]

Projects

A number of projects have set themselves the goal of developing, supporting and promoting Open Textbooks. Advocates for Open Textbooks and related open education projects are the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation .

Higher education

• Make Textbooks Affordable [5]
• Open Textbook Catalog
• Faculty Statement on Open Textbooks
• The Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources
• The Open Textbook Project
• Flat world knowledge
• Rice University Press
• Community College Open Textbook Collaborative
• Einstein University

Secondary school

• California Open Source Textbook Project
• Global text
• Free Textbooks Poland
• CK-12 Foundation FlexBooks
• Free High School Science Texts - South Africa

General knowledge

• Connexions
• Wikibooks
• The Collaborative Books
• MERLOT - Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching
• Saylor Foundation Open Textbook Initiative

Authorship

The author remuneration for Open Textbooks differs greatly from the conventional textbook publication. By definition, the author of an Open Textbook allows the general public to use the textbook free of charge, which excludes payment for access. However, a number of models are evolving to assist authors. For example, an Open Textbook publisher called Flat World Knowledge pays its authors a share of the proceeds from printed copies and learning aids sold. Other compensation models include scholarships, funding programs and advertising funding.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Learn More About Open Textbooks , the Student PIRGs
2. ^ Open Education Conference 2009. Interactive Open Textbook Panel Discussion. (Video, 1:02:08) Murugan Pal, CK12 Foundation; Eric Frank, Flat World Knowledge; Cable Green, WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; Barbara Illowsky, De Anza College; Steve Acker, Ohio State University.
3. ↑ 2010 Horizon Report, Chapter 7 ( Memento of the original from March 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., & Stone, S. (2010) for the New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. Accessed Dec 23, 2010. 
4. ^ Open Educational Resources. ( Memento of the original from January 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. SPARC. 
5. ↑ Free to Learn Guide (PDF; 2.1 MB) by Hal Plotkin. "An Open Educational Resources Policy Development Guidebook for Community College Governance Officials." (Funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation) Living document is open-licensed for iterative improvement. Creative Commons. 2010.
6. ↑ Considerations for Creative Commons Licensing of Open Educational Resources: The Value of Copyleft ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. by Charles Lowe, Bowling Green State University. Computers and Composition Online. September, 2010. 
7. ^ Open Knowledge Definition (OKD) Open Knowledge Foundation .
8. ↑ TEDxNYED: Open Education and the Future presentation by David A. Wiley . March 6, 2010.
9. ↑ Welcome to College Open Textbooks! College Open Textbooks. (Funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation)
10. ↑ CK-12 FlexBooks customizable, standards-aligned, free digital textbooks for K-12.
11. ↑ OER: The Myth of Commercial Textbook Reliability ( Memento of the original of April 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. by Geoff Cain. College Open Textbooks Community. March 19, 2011. 
12. ↑ ASU Statepress. Open Source Alternatives Bring Flexibility to Textbooks. February 25, 2010.
13. ↑ 7 Things You Should Know About Open Textbook Publishing (PDF; 851 kB) by Judy Baker and Jacky Hood. Educause Learning Initiative. March 8, 2011.
14. ^ Open Educational Resources The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
15. ^ Washington State Community and Technical Colleges Launch the Washington State Student Completion Initiative The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Oct 14, 2009.
16. ^ Flat World Knowledge , Author's World
17. ↑ Resources on Open Textbooks ( Memento of the original from July 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , the Student PIRGs