California to create free, open textbooks

Barty · 09-30-2012, 12:00 PM

http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...tbooks/263047/

CA governor just signed a law to fund creation of free, open source textbooks students can download for free or buy ($20 for printed books). The books will be released under creative commons license.

I was hoping private foundations would start something like this. There's a lot of private money being poured into education, eg the Gates Foundation. Why not pay profs/educators to create textbooks and give them away for free? I realize many of them make a mint from book royalty, but there will be others willing to do it for a flat fee or even donate their time.

This CA initiative has a good chance of producing something interesting, b/c CA actually has a very good public higher Ed system, between the UC schools and CSU schools and community colleges. If nothing else, it will spur the private groups to get in on the act.

About time the textbook industry gets disrupted.

David Munch · 09-30-2012, 12:38 PM

This is definitely the future. Heck, Wikipedia has plenty of well sourced information, which could be expanded upon and published, and work well for text books. (Of course, some of it has to be rewritten entirely - I'm looking at you, math articles!)

A group of teachers and students recently wrote an entire text book over a weekend. Pretty fascinating!

God I wasted much money on text books during my bachelor and master years..

taustin · 09-30-2012, 09:16 PM

California loves to spend tax dollars on stuff that will never get used, like light rail systems.

In this case, these are college level texts, and they are not in any way mandatory. Since a lot of professors either use textbooks they wrote or get some kind of cut (you think the book stores won't cut them in when facing no income themselves otherwise?), this will be another boondoggle.

Soldim · 10-01-2012, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taustin

In this case, these are college level texts, and they are not in any way mandatory. Since a lot of professors either use textbooks they wrote or get some kind of cut (you think the book stores won't cut them in when facing no income themselves otherwise?), this will be another boondoggle.

I'd rather imagine it would be a point colleges could compete with. If I could choose between going to a place with up to date standard text books for next to nothing or a place where there's $120 texts books written by local professors that are not used anywhere else it would be a rather good argument for going to the first place.

teh603 · 10-01-2012, 08:21 AM

I wonder what Pearson has to say about all this. They seem to own education here in Texas, since everything made in the last ten years has their logo on it.

kennyc · 10-01-2012, 09:27 AM

Wonderful! Most college texts are outrageously priced!

kennyc · 10-01-2012, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soldim

I'd rather imagine it would be a point colleges could compete with. If I could choose between going to a place with up to date standard text books for next to nothing or a place where there's $120 texts books written by local professors that are not used anywhere else it would be a rather good argument for going to the first place.

taustin · 10-01-2012, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soldim

I'd rather imagine it would be a point colleges could compete with. If I could choose between going to a place with up to date standard text books for next to nothing or a place where there's $120 texts books written by local professors that are not used anywhere else it would be a rather good argument for going to the first place.

Unless, of course, grads from the second place make 25% more upon graduation, maybe.

As expensive as textbooks are, they're still a pretty small part of the overall cost of college, and there are a lot of other criteria involved in such a decision.

And California colleges are turning away students - the community college sysetm is looking at budget cuts that will mean nearly 200,000 fewer students next year - that competing for students certainly isn't a concern right now. Mabye in a decade, but for now, the income from the exensive text books are worth a lot more to most colleges than turning away even more students.

taustin · 10-01-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teh603

I wonder what Pearson has to say about all this. They seem to own education here in Texas, since everything made in the last ten years has their logo on it.

I believe Texas mandates what textbooks get used for (private) primary and seconday schools, but again, I believe this is college level texts only.

Andrew H. · 10-02-2012, 01:08 PM

This is interesting, but it isn't actually funded. If you read the statute, it will only take effect when funding is made available. Which is a completely separate issue.

I'm curious what the bids will come in at.

RainingLemur · 10-02-2012, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Wonderful! Most college texts are outrageously priced!

Even used ones, assuming they're not already outdated.

09-30-2012, 12:00 PM	#1
Barty doofus Posts: 2,555 Karma: 13089041 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	California to create free, open textbooks http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...tbooks/263047/ CA governor just signed a law to fund creation of free, open source textbooks students can download for free or buy ($20 for printed books). The books will be released under creative commons license. I was hoping private foundations would start something like this. There's a lot of private money being poured into education, eg the Gates Foundation. Why not pay profs/educators to create textbooks and give them away for free? I realize many of them make a mint from book royalty, but there will be others willing to do it for a flat fee or even donate their time. This CA initiative has a good chance of producing something interesting, b/c CA actually has a very good public higher Ed system, between the UC schools and CSU schools and community colleges. If nothing else, it will spur the private groups to get in on the act. About time the textbook industry gets disrupted.

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09-30-2012, 12:38 PM	#2
David Munch Scholar Posts: 1,012 Karma: 3999312 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kobo Libra H2O + iPad Air 4	This is definitely the future. Heck, Wikipedia has plenty of well sourced information, which could be expanded upon and published, and work well for text books. (Of course, some of it has to be rewritten entirely - I'm looking at you, math articles!) A group of teachers and students recently wrote an entire text book over a weekend. Pretty fascinating! God I wasted much money on text books during my bachelor and master years..

09-30-2012, 09:16 PM	#3
taustin Wizard Posts: 1,358 Karma: 5766642 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Nook	California loves to spend tax dollars on stuff that will never get used, like light rail systems. In this case, these are college level texts, and they are not in any way mandatory. Since a lot of professors either use textbooks they wrote or get some kind of cut (you think the book stores won't cut them in when facing no income themselves otherwise?), this will be another boondoggle.

10-01-2012, 08:21 AM	#5
teh603 Autism Spectrum Disorder Posts: 1,212 Karma: 6244877 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Coastal Texas Device: Android Phone	I wonder what Pearson has to say about all this. They seem to own education here in Texas, since everything made in the last ten years has their logo on it.

10-01-2012, 09:27 AM	#6
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,930 Karma: 119747553 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2 & PW, Onyx Boox Go6	Wonderful! Most college texts are outrageously priced!

10-02-2012, 01:08 PM	#10
Andrew H. Grand Master of Flowers Posts: 2,201 Karma: 8389072 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Naptown Device: Kindle PW, Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)	This is interesting, but it isn't actually funded. If you read the statute, it will only take effect when funding is made available. Which is a completely separate issue. I'm curious what the bids will come in at.