Open Textbooks: Quality and Relevance for Postsecondary Study in The Bahamas

Edward Bethel

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v21i2.4598

Abstract

Open educational resources (OER), are openly licensed text, media, and other digital and analog assets that are useful for teaching, learning, and research. Recent research has shown that in courses where open textbooks are assigned, students perform as well as or better than students in similar courses with commercially licensed textbooks. Despite cost savings and demonstrated effectiveness, perceptions about quality, relevance, ease of access, and other concerns persist. The objectives of this study were twofold: (a) to develop a practical and reusable measure for evaluating open textbook quality in terms of pedagogy, openness, accessibility, and relevance; and (b) to use the measure to rate the quality and relevance of open textbooks for use in higher education in The Bahamas. The study confirmed the viability of the quality measure as a practical tool to assess open resources and found that the open textbooks studied were accessible and well matched to course content, but of varying quality. More study is needed to explore ways to increase faculty adoption, use, adaption and production of OER.

Highlights

Textbooks play an important role in student course outcomes
This study focused on the question of open textbook quality
A total of 71 college textbooks were identified that were likely to be a good match with university or college courses

Summary

Introduction

Textbooks play an important role in student course outcomes. As the cost of university and college textbooks continues to rise, students increasingly cannot afford to purchase them. Increasing costs can lead students to purchase fewer texts and do poorly in courses, take fewer courses, or drop out of programmes of study altogether (Florida Virtual Campus, 2016). While textbook costs are a burden to all students, poor students are impacted as they are least able to shoulder high educational costs. In effect, increasing costs present an additional educational barrier. Put, when costs increase, access is reduced

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