Open Content and the Global Text Project Don McCubbrey dmccubbr@du.edu

Open Content and the Global Text Project

Don McCubbrey dmccubbr@du.edu

The Cost of Textbooks is a Problem

• It’s a huge issue in the US• Prices increasing at twice the rate

of inflation• Publishers come out with

unnecessary new editions to cripple the used book market

• Often cannot buy unbundled versions

• International editions typically cost 50% of the US edition

• Distributors can’t import international editions

Dealing With the Cost of Textbooks

• Action Groups• OER Commons• MIT Open Courseware• Rice University – Connexions• Academic Earth• Alternative Business Models

– Online editions of traditional texts– Textbook rental sites– Low cost or free texts– eReaders

• Textbook Transparency Laws

BUT…

• A $150 textbook in the US will cost $75 in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Even international editions are out of reach of students in developing economies.

• The lack of current, high-quality textbooks is a barrier for students in developing economies to lift themselves and their countries out of poverty.

"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world“ Nelson Mandela

Global Text

An Overview

Global Text Core Team

Person Affiliation Roles

Richard Watson University of GeorgiaCo-leader

Editor-in-Chief Information Systems

Don McCubbrey University of DenverCo-leader

Editor-in-Chief Business Fundamentals

Wayne Huang Ohio University Chinese library

Andres Sepulveda

University of Concepción

Spanish library

Kevin DesouzaUniversity of Washington

Chief Community Organizer (CCO)

Franz Lehner University of Passau Chief Technical Officer (CTO)

THE GLOBAL TEXT PROJECT : http://globaltext.org

• Content is developed by the collective intelligence of a dispersed community

• Content is reviewed by qualified experts

• Books are copy-edited, loaded to an online repository, and are available for free

• Books may be read online, downloaded to laptops, printed, or read on e-media

• Users are encouraged to modify books to suit local circumstances

• Books are initially available in Arabic, Chinese, English, and Spanish

Openness dimensions

Access Open Proprietary

Editing Everyone Few

Reviewing Informal Formal

Timeliness Dynamic Static

PROJECT STATUS

• Community includes academics, students, and practitioners – over 50 universities worldwide

• Pilot tests completed in Ethiopia and Indonesia

• Over 50 books available now• Goal is to have 1000 books covering every

subject in the first two years of university

• Support from Corporations and

Foundations

• Some recent publicity

– Times Higher Education

– Costa Mesa Prof

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Acquisition• Production• Promotion• Marketing

– Books– Disciplines– Countries, Regions

• Translation• Student Quality Circles

GLOBAL TEXT

“Engaging Many for the Benefit of Many More”