Destroying the Textbook Tower

2021 ◽  
pp. 53-66
Author(s):  
Oluwunmi Ariyo ◽  
Ansa Reams-Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Student ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
National Average ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Open Education ◽  
College Board ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
Education College ◽  
Open Education Resources

Textbooks are the cornerstone of higher education. College Board stated in a study that the national average for one text is $153 per course, and over the course of a year, the average college student spends more than $1,200 on books and materials. Endless debates have posed the question of how students enrolled in higher education institutions can afford the rising cost of textbooks without it interfering in their education. Open education resources have provided one answer to this debate. The following chapter will discuss three main benefits of OER which are free access, standardization, and equity concerns. Lastly, the chapter will address the challenges pertaining to OER.

scholarly journals We’re listening: Try a textbook listening tour to advance an OER initiative

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Steven J. Bell ◽  
Annie Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Open Education Resources

It’s little surprise that academic librarians at institutions of every size and type are launching initiatives to encourage instructors to adopt Open Education Resources (OER). Whether these programs offer incentives to faculty or simply promote the benefits of OER and other textbook affordability options, they are a win for students who save money and gain a better learning experience. The textbook affordability movement in higher education also places academic librarians in a new leadership role as they manage campus-wide efforts to promote the benefits of OER. ACRL’s “2018 Top Trends in Academic Libraries” report identifies multiple challenges to faculty adoption, such as the lack of OER resources or perceived quality, but that these are also “opportunities for librarians to cultivate partnerships with faculty in the discovery, advocacy and preservation of OER.”

scholarly journals Are Higher Education Institutions Positioned To Reap The Dividends Of Open Education Resources? The Case Of Durban University Of Technology

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1119 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Van der Merwe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
New Business ◽  
Human Need ◽  
Open Content ◽  
Open Education Resources

The potential benefits of open education resources (OERs) are well documented in the literature. These include cheaper education, improved equity in respect of educational prospects, greater access to higher education opportunities for non-traditional learners, encouraging new modes of collaborative learning and leveraging public funds by sharing knowledge. So compelling are these advantages that leading universities globally are currently experimenting with new business models calibrated to extract value from educational offerings that, increasingly, will be expected to include free content. In spite of the obvious merits of OERs, the open education movement faces challenges which are rooted significantly in educators' perceptions of these resources. This descriptive case study sought to examine the attitudes Durban University of Technology (DUT) faculty have towards OERs with the aim of gauging their capacity to be actively involved as developers and users of these materials. The study found that in spite of respondents' recognition of the advantages of OERs and even a degree of superficial employment of these instructional aids, there appears to be no real open education ethos at the institution. Evidence of this includes the relatively low level of sharing of content amongst faculty and the consensus of respondents that there is no institutional support for OER initiatives. The study concludes that for the university to retain its relevance in an evolving educational landscape, it should create a framework that will not only create space for OER projects but should also address the very human need for recognition and acknowledgement that developers of free and open content have.

scholarly journals Digital resources and English as an additional language in higher education: possibilities for internationalization

2021 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Esteves de Lima-Lopes ◽  
Terezinha Marcondes Diniz Biazi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
Open Education Resources

Given the recognition of the Open Education Resources (OER) movement in the global scenario, this paper provides an overview of the OER implementation efforts, based on two documents: OER Global Report 2017 and Ljubljana OER Action Plan 2017. The first analyzes the OER progress from 2012 to 2017. The second presents recommended actions and strategies to harness the potential of open-licensed resources. We argue that these documents helped to compose the actions and strategies from the 2019 UNESCO OER Recommendation, which, in turn, motivated UNESCO and partnerships to produce an OER guide under the Pandemic COVID-19, following the 2019 OER Recommendations. Aligned with the innovative experiences brought by the guide, we emphasize the relevance of OER for knowledge sharing.  

scholarly journals Analysis of the Efficiency of China’s Distance Economic Education in Force Majeure Circumstances

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 175-195
Author(s):  
Kseniia V Tsytsiura ◽  
Ganna M Romanova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Economic Education ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Force Majeure ◽  
Learning Platforms ◽  
Efficiency Factors

This article focuses on the latest approaches to the effective delivery of distance education for the students of economic specialties in China’s higher education institutions in force majeure circumstances. Distance education was introduced due to the complex global epidemiological situation, unpredictable for the entire world community. The growing role and importance of distance learning in contemporary higher education overall and the education of economists in particular have been outlined. The need to use and constantly upgrade software and distance learning platforms is emphasized. The current Chinese approaches to the provision of the economists’ distance education in higher education institutions are outlined. The efficiency factors of the economists’ distance education in China’s higher education institutions were determined and substantiated. Namely, the following efficiency factors were considered: importance of approbation and implementation of the new interaction methods among the participants of the teaching and learning process, game approach application aimed at the formation of motivation of students to study, the creation and continuous modernization of the informational and educational environment of the university, the provision of a free access to up-to-date digital technology and information and communication learning technologies, the use and efficient combination of distance learning platforms in teaching disciplines, the formation of digital competence of students and teachers, as well as the openness of the colleges and university management and faculty to change. The effectiveness study of distance education provision for the students of economics was experimentally tested. The results of distance learning and teaching during the semester in force majeure circumstances were analyzed on the basis of empirical data from the students’ survey at the Department of Economics of a state-owned Chinese higher education institution. The research findings emphasize the feasibility of studying and analyzing China’s positive experience in the provision of distance learning economic education in force majeure circumstances. Recommendations for the implementation of China's experience in economists’ training in Eastern European universities were elaborated and presented.

scholarly journals MOOCs as Disruptive Innovation in Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-12
Author(s):  
Kamarudin Hussin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Disruptive Innovation ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
E Learning

The advancement of technology in higher education is always perceived as a valuable innovation that create better impact to the society. The advent of the Internet for instance, has magnificently created important features in learning environment globally. Higher education community optimizes the Internet as an essential resource, communication platforms and dynamic tools in their core teaching-learning, research, consultation activities, entertainment and many others. Moreover, innovations such as mobile technology has successfully broadened access to the Internet and related online services and facilities. Higher education institutions as the hub for technology development and innovation have invested in virtual learning environment to support current needs of global population. Related to this fact, e- learning modules and contents are offered across universities, and interested learners in public communities are benefited by this opportunity. Educators and experts in higher education institutions are delivering their knowledge, discoveries and expertise via e-learning platforms and other supported technology. Equally important, e-learning has successfully expanded opportunities for lifelong and flexible learning, and offered a solution for practical issues and increasing student numbers. As a matter of fact, e-learning has been proposed as a promising way out for many complex issues such asfunding constraints, increasing demand and access to higher education while improving quality and high impact educational provisions in many countries. While addressing these issues, higher education administrators, educators, researchers and policy makers have developed responses in various frameworks. Initiatives such as Competency-Based Online Programs, development of open source materials, flipped classroom and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have contributed towards reducing cost of higher education as well as increasing access to higher education. MOOCs technology has proven its capability to reach massive audienceof about 30,000 students at a time. Across the globe, MOOCs offer free access to online course lectures, self- paced lessons, readings, problem sets, blogs, discussion boards, peer assessment and even online discussion group platforms for global students (Leon and Price, 2016). In 2017, MOOCs offered more than 9,400 courses with more than 500 MOOC based credentials according to data gathered by Class Central. Excitingly, MOOC platforms have recorded more than 81 million learners to date (Class Central, 2017).  

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