Washington
Course Material Affordability in Washington
In response to growing concerns about the high cost of textbooks, the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges launched the Open Course Library (OCL), a project to outfit 81 of the state's largest-enrolled courses with high-quality, low-cost educational materials. Funded jointly by the Washington State Legislature and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project sought to offer faculty and students a more affordable alternative to expensive textbooks.Upon the release of the first phase of Open Course Library courses in October 2011, the Student PIRGs conducted an analysis of the student savings: Affordable Textbooks for Washington's Students: A Cost Analysis of the Open Course Library. The Student PIRGs updated this analysis in April 2013 when the State Board announced the completion of all 81 courses.
The major findings are that the Open Course Library has saved students $5.5 million since its inception, including $2.8 million this academic year alone. Students who take OCL courses save $96 on average per course over using an expensive, traditional textbook. The total student savings are more than triple the original $1.8 million investment in the project. As more governments consider investing in open educational resources, this evidence will help demonstrate the potential impact on textbook costs.
Publications
Report: Washington
Open Educational Resources & The Cost of Required Course Materials in Four-Year Universities
Author: Washington State Institute for Public Policy
Year: 2019 - Format: PDF
Report: Washington
UPDATED COST ANALYSIS: The Open Course Library’s Affordable Textbooks for Washington’s Students
Author: Student PIRGs
Year: 2013 - Format: PDF
Report: Washington
COST ANALYSIS, OPEN COURSE LIBRARY: Affordable Textbooks for Washington’s Students
Author: Student PIRGs
Year: 2011 - Format: PDF
National and Regional
- Bay View Analytics
- Cengage
- Library Journal
- Midwestern Higher Education Compact
- Open Textbook Alliance
- PIRG
State Level
Institutions
- Bentley University
- Gettysburg College
- Old Dominion University
- Randolph College
- SUNY Oneonta
- University of Hawaii at Manoa
- William & Mary