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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”
