Open Textbook Publication Technology

Open Textbook Publication Technology: 

Erica Kuschel EDCO 549 Azusa Pacific University San Diego Regional Center January 18,2012 Open Textbook Publication Technology

Introduction: 

Open textbooks avoid the all-or-nothing approach of traditional copyright and instead are published using an open license Open textbooks can be completely open, with no restrictions, or copyright holders may reserve only the right of attribution so their name(s) remain associated with their work. Introduction

How It’s Used: 

Many authors that contribute to open textbooks are firm believers that content should be available to all and the cost of buying a textbook should not hinder a persons learning. Students usually pay little to no c ost for open textbooks. Revenue can be made through a dvertisements throughout the book Several foundations sponsor open text creation by providing funds for open textbook workshops, peer reviews, and repositories. How It’s Used

Who Does It?: 

For-profit companies like Lulu, O’Reilly, Flat World Knowledge and Textbook Media. Stored in repositories Government, Universities and Foundation Sponsorship CK-12, Curriki , OpenLearn (UK), California Open Source Textbook Project, Connexions , College Open Textbooks and MERLOT maintain listings of open textbooks in repositories and on individual sites Who Does It?

Pros/Cons: 

Pros Tremendous cost cutting for students Active learning opportunities with the text Teachers can create new activities and lesson plans from multiple books Cons Lacks structure of editorial and distribution mechanisms to assure quality Teacher may have to do extra work to ensure the quality of text Authors may want the backing of a publisher Pros/Cons

Where is Open Textbook Future Going?: 

Open textbooks, which offer students easy access and lowered costs, require new models for ensuring the quality of the texts themselves thru Peer Reviews Instructor Reviews Student Reviews May have an impact on large publications to offer additional services Modified textbooks, targeted course content Rentals, per-chapter downloads, subscriptions Where is Open Textbook Future Going?

Implications: 

“The open textbook publishing model offers new collaborative opportunities for authors, who can join communities of writers on sites that offer open licensing. Authors, illustrators, and editors can choose to contribute many types of course content to the growing field of open educational resources, including essays, animations, video demonstrations, detailed drawings, and classroom activities— all without taking on the burden of writing an entire book. Instead of depending heavily on a single text, instructors can design content for their courses on an as-needed basis, choosing from an array of books, articles, videos, audio recordings, and readings published at a number of venues. They can even encourage students to move beyond being passive consumers of education by contributing to their own texts, participating in the creative and constructive aspects of learning .” (EDUCAUSE,2011) Implications

Resources: 

EDUCAUSE. 20011. 7 Things You Need to Know About…Open Textbook Publishing. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7070.pdf Resources