[instrumental music] >>Michelle Reed, Open Education Librarian: This is the first video
in a series that highlights how we at UTA are opening access to education for our students.
>>Student: I buy my textbooks every semester.
I usually spend about $200 per semester.
>>Student: It's probably been over $1,000.
>>Student: I really don't remember all the textbooks, but it was like ten of them.
>>Student: Usually I don't intend to buy before the class starts.
I usually buy after a week or two to see if I'm really going to need it because textbook
costs are really...
>>Students: expensive.
Student: I spent like $300.
>>Student [nodding]: $300.
>>Reed: Data from the Consumer Price Index shows us that the cost of college textbooks
has risen more than three times the rate of inflation for all good and services.
Higher than health care.
Higher than home prices.
In the 2016-17 academic year, the College Board recommended students budget an average
of $1,310 for books and supplies.
While they're told they should budget it, studies have shown that students don't actually
spend this much on course materials.
>>Student [laughter]: Right now I'm actually looking for free PDF files.
I spend a lot of time trying to Google for files, ask friends if they can take pictures
of their textbook.
>>Reed: The problem isn't just that textbooks are expensive.
You really start to see the issues with this unsustainable pricing model when you think
about how it impacts student behavior.
>>Student: Sometimes there's no option.
If you don't have the money for it then you just don't have the money for it, and it kind
of hinders everything.
>>Student: There's a lot of other textbooks that have access codes that require you to
have it to actually do the homework.
>>Student: The few times that I just couldn't afford to get the textbook, that class definitely
suffered.
I mean, some of the information is provided by professors but for a lot of that extra
detail you need that book.
My grades did suffer in those classes, but I had to make the decision because I wasn't
going to be able to pay for it.
>>Reed: Open educational resources, commonly referred to as OER, are any teaching and learning
materials that are both free for the user and that are licensed in a way that allows
for reuse.
>>Student: If there could be a way to make textbooks a little cheaper or, I don't know,
have them be more readily available at our library or something like that I think it
would help a lot of students.
>>Reed: This means there are no cost barriers preventing students from being prepared for
their coursework on day one.
>>Student: If we could use digital or maybe used copies of things I think it would be
more cost efficient.
>>Student: I would definitely use the professor who uses OER just because it would make everything
so much easier.
>>Reed: UTA Libraries provide resources and support for educators interested in adopting
OER or other free or low-cost options in place of high-cost commercial textbooks.