The high cost of textbooks is creating obstacles for students to be successful in classes. Since 2002, the cost of textbooks has nearly doubled. In fact, 26% of BC students choose to not register for a course due to textbook costs, which negatively impacts their academic career.
An alternative solution is the implementation of Open Education Resources (OER). OERs come in many forms: full courses, lesson plans, videos, exams, and textbooks. These are available in digital formats for free or in print at a very low cost. The implementation of OERs in classes will save students from over-priced textbooks without sacrificing high-quality education.
In the past 5 years, open textbooks have saved students more than $6 million; more funding will result in more materials and save students money one class at a time! All it takes to expand the program is a commitment from instructors and administration to make saving students money a priority.
Join the online provincial conversation on OERs by following #textbookbrokeBC, and posting online your experience with OERs. You can also tweet your textbook receipt using the hashtag #textbookbrokeBC to share how the rising costs of textbooks are affecting you.
Talk to an instructor you think would be interested in adopting open education resources, or point them to your institutions library for information on OERs. You can also contact your students’ union if you’re interested in talking to your instructors, but would like more support getting started.