Humboldt State University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The library at Humboldt State University provides online research guides for students in nearly all disciplines (seriously, it even includes Kinesiology). Our new Library Dean and open textbook guru, Cyril Oberlander set Tim Miller and Sarah Fay Philips to work on the Open Educational Resources Guide – this handy guide based on similar work at SJSU – will help faculty make smart and affordable choices for their course materials. This is a significant benefit for the students at HSU and elsewhere who are increasingly impacted by the cost of education.
There is a monthly group meeting, the OER Collaborative, in the library exploring open textbooks and developing an Affordable Learning Solutions plan for the campus. The LA Times ran a great story back in August about what the California State University system has in mind with ALS and how they want to lower costs. My favorite quote is from Gerry Hanley, our assistant vice chancellor for academic technology services who says that his “… goal is to cut costs by 50% for all students, so instead of paying $1,000 a student would pay $500…” and he says “My real desire is to make materials free for everyone, but I recognize that the creation of content and publication is real work.”
Related articles
- New State-Level Policy Brief on Open Educational Resources (infojustice.org)
- NCSU Libraries Spur Innovation Through Alt-Textbook Grants (lj.libraryjournal.com)
- Professional Development Programme on OER-based e-learning (slideshare.net)
