Using Open Educational Resources in Your Classroom\: The NCSU Libraries Alt-Textbook Project

Runaway textbook costs on college campuses have become a major impediment to student success. Students spend an average of $1200/year on textbooks, and 7 out of 10 students have forgone purchasing college textbooks because of cost, according to a recent PIRG survey on 13 college campuses. However, many alternatives to commercial textbooks have emerged in the last decade, allowing faculty to easily find and use current, high-quality free online Open Educational Resources (OERs) for their courses. Through the use of OERs, faculty are free to select and develop more current, customized, and pedagogically relevant learning materials for their courses.In this workshop, NCSU librarians will introduce faculty members to resources and websites for finding high-quality OERs, share example ideas for incorporating OERs into courses, and discuss how to apply for funding through the Libraries’ Alt-Textbook Project, a competitive grant program to adopt, adapt, or create free or low-cost alternatives to expensive textbooks in the classroom for the Spring 2015 and Fall 2015 semesters. See the Libraries' Alt-Textbook Project website for OER resources and information about the grants program\: http\://www.lib.ncsu.edu/alttextbook