The Twenty Million Minds Foundation (20MM) has spent about $1.5-million in developing open access textbooks written by high-profile scholars, but they are learning that professors are still hesitant to use these textbooks in their courses.  The largest problem is that few professors have heard of 20MM or OpenStax College, a Rice University service that hosts free textbooks produced by the foundation.

In order to reach a wider audience, 20MM decided to contact online retailers and find a partner to sell their previously free textbooks for a small fee. They spoke with several retailers, such as CourseSmart and AcademicPub, but they ultimately decided to work with Chegg. Dean Florez, 20MM’s president, explained that Chegg is already associated with low-cost options and that the textbooks need to be seen “side by side with a site professors trust” to encourage adoptions.

The cost of the 20MM textbooks will cost a few dollars per textbook, with Mr. Florez reassuring that the cost of the textbooks will be less than the sales tax on the books they are buying from publishers. In addition, none of that money will go back to 20MM. Instead, it will support Chegg’s online reader software which adds extra features to the original content, and some will support OpenStax College. Mr. Florez added that 20MM could have built its own software platform, but they decided that it would be in the best interest of open-source publishers by being in the same stores as other books already being used in classrooms.

If you would like to read the full article, visit:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/free-textbook-group-will-sell-its-e-books-on-chegg-for-a-small-fee/41483

Mark J. Perry, a professor of economics at the The University of Michigan Flint Campus, has written an article for the American Enterprise Institute emphasizing the rising costs of textbooks. For the article, he created a chart to compare Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers from 1978 to 2012, using the “Educational Books and Supplies”, “Medical Services”, “New Home Prices”, and “All Items” series of CPI data.

According to the CPI data, college textbooks have seen a price increase of 812% since 1978, while medical services have only increased by 575% and home prices by 325%. The price increase of textbooks is even more absurd when compared to the average rising cost for all goods and services, which only comes in at 250%. In other words, college textbooks prices have increased three times more than the average price increase for all items.

If you would like to read the full article and see Perry’s chart, visit:
http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/12/the-college-textbook-bubble-and-how-the-open-educational-resources-movement-is-going-up-against-the-textbook-cartel/

It all began with Supap Kirtsaeng, a student from Thailand attending an American college, who noticed that the textbooks he used in class were sold cheaper in his homeland. He asked his family if they would be willing to send him some of these textbooks. He proceeded to sell them to American students for much cheaper prices than a student bookstore and made a little profit for himself. However, it ended when the publisher John Wiley and Sons sued him for copyright infringement.

Wiley won the case and Mr. Kirtsaeng was ordered to pay $600,000. However, now the case has made its way up to the Supreme Court of the United States and there are several parties that are looking to overturn the verdict. One of the parties is the Owners’ Right Initiative with the motto of “if you bought it, you own it.” The group is composed of members such as the American Library Association, the American Association of Law Libraries, eBay, Goodwill Industries, Powell’s Books, and technology vendors.

The Owners’ Right Initiative argues for the “first sale doctrine” to be upheld, which allows a buyer to freely sell or dispose of a purchased book. The doctrine was codified into the copyright law by the Supreme Court in 1909. However, in the 1990s a section was added to the copyright law which states, “importation into the United States, without the authority of the owner of the copyright under this title, of copies . . . that have been acquired outside the United States is an infringement of the exclusive right to distribute copies.” Wiley argues that the “first sale doctrine” only applies to books “lawfully made under this title,” and only books published in the United States are governed by its copyright laws.

Previously, the lower courts have ruled in favor of Wiley, but since the decisions were usually split, experts are unsure which way the Supreme Court will rule on the case.

The Owners’ Right Initiative has warned people of the troubling consequences of the case by saying: “If the Court rules in favor of Wiley, libraries may be unable to lend books, individuals could be restricted from donating items to charities, and businesses and consumers could be prevented from selling a variety of products, from electronics, to books, to jewelry, to used cars.”

If you would like to read more, visit:
http://www.americanaexchange.com/AE/AEMonthly/AEMonthlySingleArticle.aspx?ArticleID=1379&Month=12&Year=2012&Page=1

Bookboon.com has commented on Flat World Knowledge’s abandonment of the free etextbook business model, explaining to their users that they will not be forced to do the same.

According to Bookboon, Flat World Knowledge did not have a functioning business model around their free access etextbooks because they never made money directly from the free traffic. Their financial success relied on the conversion of free users to paying customers.

However, Bookboon’s model sidesteps this problem by inserting a limited number of adverts from employers inside of the etextbook. These advertisements are geared toward the subject of the etextbook, highlighting future career opportunities and relevant information to students. Bookboon says that 15% advertising space inside of the etextbooks makes the concept possible, which equates to about one advert for every 15-20 minutes of reading.

Bookboon stated that their model is sustainable, with their traffic growing 100% on average per year since 2009, and claimed that 40 million etextbooks will have been downloaded by the end of 2012. They further explained their sustainability by mentioning that their growth was financed by retained earnings only. That means they have not taken any outside investments, which is rare for providers of free education material.

If you would like to see Bookboon’s full comment, visit:
http://bookboon.com/blog/2012/11/bookboon-coms-textbooks-will-remain-free-fo-students/

Flatworld Knowledge has decided to end their free online textbook business model in January 2013. Originally, they offered students free access to textbooks and made money by selling digital study aids, interactive tools, quizzes, guides, and PDF and audio versions of their textbooks. However, Flatworld Knowledge has explained that their freemium business model was a barrier to the company’s long-term growth and had become unfair to their licensing and retail partners. And while the company will no longer provide students free access to textbooks, the company emphasizes that it is still committed to providing students with affordable access to peer reviewed textbooks through a $19.99 study pass or a $34.95 all access pass.

If you would like to read the full story, visit:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/54625-flatworld-knowledge-eliminates-free-access-to-online-textbooks.html

Similar to 20MM Mix, major textbook publisher Pearson has announced to provide a service that will allow instructors to create custom etextbooks with open access content and Pearson material. As a result, the custom etextbooks should be more relevant to specific courses and a cheaper alternative to traditional textbooks.

The service is labeled Project Blue Sky and scheduled to begin a pilot in spring 2013 at 13 colleges and universities. Gooru, a nonprofit search engine, is assisting the project by providing its search system for instructors. The search engine will allow instructors to enter keywords for a subject they are teaching and the system will return a list of Pearson content, free educational content, and material from other commercial providers.  Then, the instructors can pull together the pieces they desire from the various sources to create an etextbook. Once they are finished, the system will conveniently calculate the price for the use of the Pearson and third-party content.

Currently, the project only includes content for psychology, but it is expected to gradually expand into other subjects after the pilot.

If you would like to read the full article, visit:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/pearson-project-will-let-professors-mix-free-and-paid-content-in-e-textbooks/40830?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

On October 15, the 20 Million Minds Foundation announced a custom textbook platform called 20 Million Minds Mix (20MMix). The utility is powered by AcademicPub and allows faculty to access, remix, revise, repurpose, and deliver open content to students, providing a more affordable option compared to traditional textbooks.

Connexions, the country’s largest open education resource repository, and over 140 academic publishers have made more than 5 million units of material available to instructors. The platform allows faculty to quickly compose, price, and deliver custom textbooks to students in digital or print formats, using content from a variety of sources with real-time copyright-clearance for non-open content, , including self-generated works, works from the web, and the extensive library of Connexions. In addition, 20MMix hosts a live running total feature that allows instructors to track the cost of their book as it is being developed.

If you would like to read the full press release, visit:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/foundation-introduces-custom-textbook-creation-platform-for-open-educational-resources-174140401.html

Recently, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education sent letters to all postsecondary institutions and providers of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in the state, demanding them to cease their activities. One of the providers was Coursera, an online service that offers free courses to anyone around the world. They were told by the Office of Higher Education that they were not welcome in the state or their universities because they did not receive permission to operate there, a requirement of a law enacted at least 20 years ago to ensure consumer protection for degree pursuing students. However, Coursera is neither a degree nor credit-granting program, so they were not sure why they were targeted.

Despite any clear way that the law could be enforced, since the content is freely available online, Coursera decided to comply and update its Terms of Service to include a notice for Minnesota users:

• Coursera has been informed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education that under Minnesota Statutes (136A.61 to 136A.71), a university cannot offer online courses to Minnesota residents unless the university has received authorization from the State of Minnesota to do so. If you are a resident of Minnesota, you agree that either (1) you will not take courses on Coursera, or (2) for each class that you take, the majority of work you do for the class will be done from outside the State of Minnesota.

Several days later, an administrator in the Office of Higher Education announced plans to demand registration and fees from the dozens of universities that were offering non-credit Coursera courses. However, their office was soon bombarded with complaints and critical blog posts. Not long after that the office backtracked and changed their stance, allowing Coursera, free online course providers, and MOOCs to continue operating within the state.

In an interview, Lawrence Pogemiller, the director of the Office of Higher Education, acknowledged that the 20-year old statue did not accurately predict today’s selection of free online courses. He openly questioned whether Pennsylvania State University should have to pay $1,000 to put a course online that Minnesota residents can access for free. His own answer was that they probably should not be required to pay a fee, but it was up to state lawmakers to update the law. However, if Coursera began to charge for their courses or allow students to earn credits or certificates, the state would have to readdress its approach on the matter.

If you would like to read the full articles, you can visit:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/minnesota-gives-coursera-the-boot-citing-a-decades-old-law/40542

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/facing-backlash-minnesota-decides-to-allow-free-online-courses-after-all/40588

In the beginning of 2012, Rice University began producing open access textbooks through their OpenStax College initiative, funding it with a mix of grants and revenue from optional “add ons,” such as homework problem sets. So far, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 20 Million Minds, and the Maxfield Foundation have pledged to pay for five open source textbooks to be published.

The first two titles were created for introductory courses in physics and sociology. Since their earlier release this year, the textbooks have already been downloaded by more than 13,000 students. The next three books, which will cover anatomy and biology, are scheduled to be published in fall and winter 2012.

According to Mr. Baraniuk, founder of OpenStax College, their initiative is “trying to create the books that will save the most students the most money. The primary way that we selected the list of books to create is according to the total number of students enrolled in the U.S. in a given class, multiplied by the average book cost for those students.”

The OpenStax College textbooks have been adopted at universities including the College of William and Mary, in Virginia; Miami University, in Ohio; and the University of Massachusetts at Boston with the hope of saving one million students a total of $95-million within five years.

In addition, Mr. Baraniuk commented that the company has been in discussions with other organizations to support the creation of 20 more textbooks.

If you would like to read the full article, visit:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/rice-u-hopes-mix-of-grants-and-add-ons-will-support-free-textbooks/38823

On September 28^th, California Governor Jerry Brown signed both SB1052 and SB1053 into law, supporting the development of open source textbooks for the 50 most common undergraduate courses and a digital library to store those textbooks. Students, faculty, and textbook affordability advocates across the nation praised the governor’s endorsement of the bills, however there were some people who were upset by the decision: the Association of American Publishers (AAP).

Within a week after the bills were signed, the AAP produced a national press release to challenge the notion that the bills would provide students with free textbooks. They argued that there is no such thing as a free textbook and the 20 Million Minds Foundation (20MM), a non-profit dedicated to lower the cost of textbooks nationally, based its recent SB1052 and S1053 infographic on “voodoo math and trumped-up claims.”  In addition, the AAP modified and released their own version of the 20MM infographic called “A Roadmap to Misleading Infographics.”

After the AAP released their statement and infographic, the 20MM Foundation responded:

• AAP: These “free” textbooks will, in fact, cost California taxpayers, including college students, tens of millions of dollars to develop, distribute and maintain.

20MM Response: WRONG. Publisher textbooks are already costing huge amounts of taxpayer dollars and offering a free version online will cost students nothing. Consider that the state of California already spends over $200 million dollars in taxpayer financed Cal Grant B funding (used primarily for textbooks) that pays for overpriced publisher textbooks that far exceed the average inflation rate growth in medical care, housing, food and other consumer items. In fact, according to the CA Legislative Analyst Office, total purchases of college textbooks for fiscal year 2013-14 is expected  to be $1.7 billion alone—AND students are taxed on these textbooks –thus $67 million in taxes students are paying alone on top of the costs for these required overpriced textbooks.

• AAP: The initial funding is not going toward the creation of textbooks for “50 … courses” but the development of some unstated lesser number of “strategically selected textbooks.”

20MM Response: WRONG. The initial funding for the textbooks under the legislation goes directly toward the creation or purchase of open source textbooks that will be provided to students for free on the web or any internet device. The newly established California Open Education Resources Council, which has nine members drawn from the UC, CSU, and community college systems, will create and oversee the book approval process, including choosing the courses, then solicit bids to produce the textbooks in time for the 2013-2014 school year that will be paid directly out of the $10 million dollars allocated under the legislation. Important note for the publishers, they too can participate if they can make their content “cc-by” available and given the Council can also choose to use existing open source textbooks.

• AAP: No credible report or source supports the inflated, seven-year-old figures for student spending or textbook publishing touted by the infographic.

20MM Response: WRONG.  The AAP wants you to believe that the stats are old and out dated but many of them are within the past three years and all trending reports indicate that textbook prices are getting more expensive.  It is somewhat insulting that the AAP feels the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Student PIRGS and the College Board are all non-credible sources of information. Instead of presenting a bogus claim that our stats are non-credible and outdated, we challenge the AAP to prove that the trends are changing and textbooks are becoming more affordable.  The truth is they are not becoming more affordable.

According to the 20MM Foundation, they will be releasing a new infographic soon to further address point-by-point the accusations issued by the AAP.

If you would like to see the full press release by the 20MM Foundation, you can visit:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/publishers-announce-roadblocks-to-cas-open-road-to-free-college-textbooks-172552821.html