Textbook prices have risen 1041% since 1977, 2.5 times the rate of inflation, and even more than in other sectors which have seen rising prices such as university tuition and health care. Moreover, many of the standard textbooks in subjects such as physics do not incorporate the many of the findings from the discipline-based education literature. What is a faculty member to do to make their classes more equitable and up-to-date? Brokk Toggerson (Physics) will share how he used the abundance of free quality materials available on the internet and created his own text for Physics 131, an introductory course. Take a look at his open-education resource (OER) textbook and come discuss how it is actually easier than it seems to create a resource specifically tailored to your course.
Open education resources (OERs) aren’t just about affordability: Read a quasi-experimental study by Colvard, Watson, and Park (2018) on the impact of OERs on students’ course grades and DFW (D, F, and Withdrawal letter grades) rates for all students, particularly those historically underserved by higher education.
Drop in to any meeting; no pre-registration required. Come in person or email Colleen Kuusinen for the event link at @email.
The SoTL Working Group is open to all UMass instructors with an interest in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Find the list of our meetings on the SoTL Working Group page and join the SoTL Working Group Listserv to get meeting reminders and extra notices on upcoming SoTL conferences, calls for proposals, and events.