Open educational resources (OER) efficacy research shows that the use of OER does not negatively impact student success metrics such as grades, course completion, retention, and persistence rates. In numerous research studies involving more than 46,00 students across different types of institutions, Hilton (2016) found that students performed comparably in courses using OER vs. traditional materials. Join us to hear from two 2017-18 Open Education Research Group Fellows as they share their research conducted at a community college and a private university about how high textbooks prices and open textbook adoptions affect students. Regina Gong, from Lansing Community College, will share her research on open textbook adoptions in high-enrollment, multi-section introductory courses (psychology and economics). David Rose, from American University in Washington, DC, will share his research which shows that rising textbook prices similarly affect students at an expensive private university as has been demonstrated at more affordable public institutions (Are Private Universities Exempt from Student Concerns About Textbook Costs? A Survey of Students at American University). When: Wednesday, December 5th, 11am PT/ 2pm ET Featured Speakers David Rose, Online Learning Trainer & Curriculum Designer, American University, Washington, D.C. Regina Gong, Librarian and OER Project Manager, Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI

1. Impact of OER Adoption on Cost, Outcomes, and
Stakeholder Perceptions
Dec 5, 2018, 11:00 am PST
Welcome to
image: pixabay.com

2. Agenda
• Introductions
• CCCOER Overview
• Are Private Schools Exempt from Student Concerns About
Textbook Costs?
• The Impact of OER Adoption on Cost, Outcomes, and
Stakeholder Perceptions
• Stay in the Loop
• Spring webinars: TBA
• Q & A

3. Speakers
David Rose
Online Learning Trainer &
Curriculum Designer
American University
Washington, D.C.
Regina Gong
Librarian and OER Project
Manager
Lansing Community College
Lansing, MIModerator:
Una Daly
CCCOER Director

4. ● Expand awareness & access to high-
quality OER
● Support faculty choice & development
● Improve student success
CCCOER Mission

5. Membership Fall 2018 Map
http://cccoer.org/Member
75 CCOER-OEC Members, 11 Systemwide Memberships, 32 U.S. States
Welcome
to
our newest
member:
Grayson
College

6. Student Impact
Image: pixabay.com

7. David Rose
Online Learning Trainer &
Curriculum Designer
American University
Washington, D.C.

8. Are Private Schools Exempt
from Student Concerns About
Textbook Costs?
David Rose
Instructional Designer, American University
OER Research Fellow, Open Education Group
Certificate in OER Librarianship, Designer & Instructor, Open Textbook Network

9. No.

10. Thank you for coming!
Contact:
rose@american.edu

11. Open.american.edu

12. Lindsay Murphy

13. AU Undergraduate Demographics in 2015
84% received need-based financial aid (~82% nationally)
56% received some form of institutional grant/scholarship (~66% nationally)
52% used a loan to pay for their education (~34% nationally)
17.9% were Pell eligible (~34% nationally)

14. http://bit.ly/
AUTextbookSurve
y

15. Methodology
● Survey conducted in fall 2015, report written in summer 2018
● 13 courses across undergraduate levels, schools/colleges, disciplines
● List price of textbooks $40-$325, with majority $100+
● Drawing for two $25 gift cards to incentivize survey completions
● Method of survey capture was contingent upon professor
● n=110 (365 students invited to participate → 30% response rate)

16. Primary Research Question
Do the coping mechanisms to high textbook prices that have been demonstrated in the research by
students at public universities present themselves in students at private universities as well?

17. Fill in the blanks…
From 1977 to 2015, textbook prices rose by _____% …
… which is over _____ times the rate of inflation and faster than any other consumer product.
The College Board estimates that in 2017-2018, undergraduates could expect to pay $_____ for books
and supplies alone. ​
Roughly, studies show ___/___ of students don’t purchase required textbooks due to cost concerns.

18. Fill in the blanks…
From 1977 to 2015, textbook prices rose by 1,041% …
… which is over _____ times the rate of inflation and faster than any other consumer product.
The College Board estimates that in 2017-2018, undergraduates could expect to pay $_____ for books
and supplies alone. ​
Roughly, studies show ___/___ of students don’t purchase required textbooks due to cost concerns.

19. Fill in the blanks…
From 1977 to 2015, textbook prices rose by 1,041% …
… which is over 3 times the rate of inflation and faster than any other consumer product.
The College Board estimates that in 2017-2018, undergraduates could expect to pay $_____ for books
and supplies alone. ​
Roughly, studies show ___/___ of students don’t purchase required textbooks due to cost concerns.

20. Fill in the blanks…
From 1977 to 2015, textbook prices rose by 1,041% …
… which is over 3 times the rate of inflation and faster than any other consumer product.
The College Board estimates that in 2017-2018, undergraduates could expect to pay $1,170 for books
and supplies alone. ​
Roughly, studies show ___/___ of students don’t purchase required textbooks due to cost concerns.

21. Fill in the blanks…
From 1977 to 2015, textbook prices rose by 1,041% …
… which is over 3 times the rate of inflation and faster than any other consumer product.
The College Board estimates that in 2017-2018, undergraduates could expect to pay $1,170 for books
and supplies alone. ​
Roughly, studies show ⅔ of students don’t purchase required textbooks due to cost concerns.

22. 67%
of students surveyed had not purchased a textbook because of cost (Florida Virtual Campus, 2016,
n=22,906)
https://www.flvc.org/research

23. 64%
of students surveyed had not purchased a textbook because of cost (Florida Virtual Campus, 2012,
n=22,129)

24. 65%
of students surveyed had not purchased a textbook because of cost (Florida Virtual Campus, 2010)

25. 65%
of students surveyed had not purchased a textbook because of cost (Student PIRGs, 2014, n=2,039)
https://uspirg.org/reports/usp/fixing-broken-textbook-market

26. 70%
of students had skipped buying book due to cost (Student PIRGs, 2011)

27. Compared to those numbers, what
would you expect of AU student
textbook buying habits?​
buy more often
buy less often
same same

28. 67%
of American University students have also chosen not to acquire required textbooks or other
course materials because or prohibitive costs

29. $577
Average AU student textbook expenditure per year​

30. Perception of value: “In general, when you prepare for your tests/exams, what
percent of studying do you devote to each of the following?”

31. Learned behavior
● “I think it’s stupid to buy textbooks. Too expensive! Never buy them anymore!”
● “I honestly don’t end up using most of my textbooks. I’ve reached a point where I buy books later
into the semester, and only those I’ve seen used.”
● “They are RIDICULOUSLY expensive and professors often require them when they aren’t
necessary”
● “Class says required and most of the time it's not”

32. Year in School and Purchasing Behavior

33. “What else would you like to share about how the cost of course materials influences your learning habits?”

34. Negative Effects on Learning
● “When studying, I find highlighting the text is incredibly beneficial. Unfortunately, with the prices of
textbooks I tend to rent rather than buy, as it is more cost effective. With rented textbooks I am not
able to highlight.”
● “Some textbooks are really expensive and I will decide not to buy the hard copy. But digital copy
makes it harder to focus since it's on a digital device”
● “[N]ot buying the book because it is too expensive leaves me to use course reserves but that limits
my access to the information to allow me to succeed in class.”

35. More comments from students who pay $50,000 a year in tuition…
● “I know people who have dropped out of classes because the book was too expensive.”
● “Because books are so expensive, I need to work more hours to pay for them and keep up with monthly
expenses, instead I could use those hours to do school work.”
● “I would buy more of the books if they were cheaper, I don't make enough to spend it all on textbooks”
● “... the cost of textbooks causes significant financial stress on me and takes away from other semester needs
(food, rent, etc.)”
● “I try to stay away from courses that I know require very expensive textbooks”
● “I don't take a certain class because of the expensive or multiple textbooks.”

36. Are Private Schools Exempt from
Student Concerns About
Textbook Costs? No.

37. In your academic career, has the cost of required textbooks caused you to:
2012 2016
63.6% 66.5% Not purchase the required textbook
49.2% 47.6% Take fewer courses
45.1% 45.5% Not register for a specific course
33.9% 37.6% Earn a poor grade
26.7% 26.1% Drop a course
17.0% 19.8% Fail a course
Florida Virtual Campus, 2012 vs 2016

38. textbooks may be
“developing into a
systematic barrier to
student learning”
Stein et al., 2017

39. Thanks to
https://openedgroup.org/fellowship

40. Thank you for coming!
Contact:
rose@american.edu

41. Regina Gong
Librarian and OER Project
Manager
Lansing Community College
Lansing, MI

42. The Impact of OER Adoption
on Cost, Outcomes, and
Stakeholder Perceptions
Regina Gong, OER Project Manager
Lansing Community College
Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources
(CCCOER) Webinar
December 5, 2018
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

43. LCC AT A GLANCE
• Founded in 1957 and located in
downtown Lansing
• 26,000 students enrolled/year
• Faculty started using OER in fall
2015 semester
• No grants/stipends/incentives
were offered when we started.
• $500K approved by Board of
Trustees in Fall 2017 semester.

44. Textbook affordability
Allow faculty exploration and innovation in finding new,
better, and less costly ways to deliver quality learning
materials to students in addition to improved pedagogy.
Goals of the OER Initiative at LCC

45. OER ADOPTIONS DATA AT LCC

46. $2.2M
Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

47. How do OER
contribute to student
success?

48. OER Efficacy Research
•Studies show that students assigned OER
have lower withdrawal and drop rates.
•More likely to pass with a C or better.
•Higher persistence and retention rates.

49. Research Study Background
• PSYC 200 (Intro to Psychology)
• ECON 201 (Intro to Economics – Microeconomics)
• ECON 202 (Intro to Economics – Macroeconomics)
ALL sections adopted an open textbook in Fall 2016

50. Research Study Background
Compared publisher textbook use (AY 2015-2016)
vs. open textbook use (AY 2016-2017)
We eliminated the confounding variable of the
instructor

51. Study Population Summary
Control/
Treatment
No. of Faculty No. of
Sections
No. of
Students
Control (2015-
2016 academic
year)
46 126 3,726
Treatment (2016
-2017 academic
year)
46 113 2,876
Total 92 239 6,602

52. Data collection
strategies:
Student surveys
Faculty surveys
Mixed methods
• quantitative
• qualitative
Center for Data
Science supplied data
from Banner, Argos
Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash

53. COUP
framework
Cost
Outcomes
Use
Perceptions

54. • What is the cost of traditional textbooks in PSYC
200, ECON 201, and ECON 202 courses
over the past two academic years (2015-16 and
2016-17) and how much did students save with
an open textbook?
• How much money students report as a typical
amount spent for textbooks each semester for
PSYC 200, ECON 201, and ECON 202?
Cost

55. Outcomes
• Is there a significant difference in PSYC 200, ECON
201, and ECON 202 student grades when comparing a
faculty member using or not using an open textbook?
• Is there a significant difference in PSYC 200, ECON
201, and ECON 202 course withdrawal rates when
comparing a faculty member using or not using an
open textbook?
• Is there a significant difference in PSYC 200, ECON
201, and ECON 202 persistence rates when comparing
a faculty member using or not using an open
textbook?
• Is there a significant difference in PSYC 200, ECON
201, and ECON 202 retention rates when comparing a
faculty member using or not using an open textbook?
•

56. • How has the adoption of open textbooks changed
in PSYC 200 and ECON 201 and ECON 202 courses
at Lansing Community College in the past two
academic years (2015-16 and 2016-17)?
• What is student’s intent to register for PSYC
200, ECON 201, and ECON 202 courses that offer
OER textbook?
• If students had a choice, do they prefer open textbook
or traditional textbook use in their PSYC 200, ECON
201, and ECON 202 classes?
Use

57. • How do PSYC 200, ECON 201, and ECON
202 students perceive the quality of open
textbooks, as compared to traditional
textbooks in other courses?
Perceptions

58. Research Results: Cost
Fall 2016 Spring
2017
Summer
2017
TOTALS
ECON 201 # sections 17 16 6 39
# students 472 444 158 1,074
Cost per
textbook
$78.00 $78.00 $78.00 n/a
Savings $36,816.00 $34,632.00 $12,324.00 $83,772.00
ECON 202 # sections 6 8 3 17
# students 172 214 79 465
Cost per
textbook
$78.00 $78.00 $78.00 n/a
Savings $13.416.00 $16,692.00 $6,162.00 $36,270.00
PSYC 200 # sections 38 30 9 77
# students 1,135 778 195 2,108
Cost per
textbook
$151.25 $154.00 $154.00 n/a
Savings $171,668.75 $119,812.00 $30,030.00 $321,510.75

59. Typical Amount Spent on Textbooks
Each Semester

60. Course Completion Rates

61. Course Completion Rates

62. OER Use by Number of Faculty, Number of
Students, Number of Sections for PSYC
and ECON courses

63. Students’ Intent to Register and Choice of
Selecting Open Textbook Course Sections

64. Students’ Perceptions of Open
Textbook Quality

65. Further observation
• Our recent analysis that looked at 2 years,
demonstrated no significance between OER and non-
OER student success rates.
• The only rate we are seeing a higher average is in
college retention. Our 2 year analysis shows OER
students at about 1.5% higher retention rate
• BUT This is not currently a significant difference, so we
can’t yet say OER has a relationship to retention rates.
• Need to take a look at our longitudinal data to show this
relationship.

67. Forthcoming paper
An Analysis of Cost, Outcomes, Use, and
Perceptions in a Multi-Section Adoption of
Open Textbooks in Introductory
Psychology and Economics Courses
Regina Gong and Karen Hicks
Lansing Community College

68. Image source: https://unsplash.com/collections/167234/questions?photo=i--IN3cvEjg
Regina Gong, gongr1@lcc.edu

69. Open Education Week
openeducationweek.org
Call for Participation now open, promotional
materials available.
http://www.openeducationweek.org

70. Stay in the Loop
● Upcoming Conferences
See our website under “Get-Involved”
● Stay in touch thru Community Email
-- https://www.cccoer.org/community-email/
Image: pixabay.com
http://cccoer.org

71. The Spring
Webinar
series is
coming
soon!
Happy Holidays!
Image: pixabay.com

72. Questions?
Contact Info:
@unatdaly -- unatdaly@oeconsortium.org
@quill_west -- oclquill.west@gmail.com
Liz Yata -- lizyata@oeconsortium.org
Thank you!