Common Textbook Practices at Community Colleges

1750 H Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20006 P 202.756.2971 F 866.808.6585 hanoverresearch.com Common Textbook Practices at Community Colleges Prepared for Tarrant County College District In this brief, Hanover Research examines the issue of high textbook costs, and provides an overview of strategies adopted by educational institutions to ameliorate the problem. MARKET EVALUATION SURVEYING DATA ANALYSIS BENCHMARKING ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY

Table of Contents Executive Summary... 3 Key Findings... 3 Textbook Costs and Solutions... 5 Strategic Solutions... 7 Bulk Purchasing and Standardization of Printed Textbooks... 7 Bulk Purchasing or Production of E-Textbooks Single University Model... 8 Bulk Purchasing of E-Textbooks Multi-University Model... 11 Individual Purchasing of E-Textbooks Single University Model... 12 Free E-Textbooks... 13 Customized E-Textbooks... 15 2

Executive Summary The cost of textbooks and other educational materials has been rising at a rate far higher than inflation and the cost of living, making textbooks inaccessible to many students, especially those at community colleges, and tend to have a lower income than students at four-year colleges. In this research brief, Hanover provides an overview of the issue and strategies that institutions across the nation have adopted in response. Key Findings Currently, textbook costs are roughly the equivalent of three-fourths of tuition at community colleges. This makes textbooks and other educational materials inaccessible to many students from a financial standpoint; seven in 10 college students have reported not purchasing a textbook at least once because they found the price too high, and most expected to perform worse in the class for which they did not purchase the textbook. Electronic textbooks are seen by many as a natural next step for the textbook industry. Although the vast majority of textbooks are still purchased in paper form, major publishers, non-profit organizations and some higher education institutions have begun to produce electronic textbooks. In many cases, these textbooks are public and open-source, meaning that they can be used by anyone and customized at will. Community colleges and four-year colleges alike have embarked upon plans to reduce the cost of educational materials to their students. Rio Salado College, for instance, has taken the step of using the same printed textbooks in all sections of each course. The model is estimated to have saved the College s 60,000 students approximately $6 million in two and a half years. Several institutions, among them Indiana University, the School of Business at Virginia State University, and the College of Business at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, have experimented with the bulk purchasing or production of electronic textbooks, but approaches have differed. At Indiana University, students pay a set course materials fee, after which they have access to the materials purchased at a discounted rate by the University. Virginia State University s School of Business uses materials produced by a provider of free and low-cost textbooks, and has negotiated lower rates for PDF versions of the textbooks and supplemental materials. The University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh has created a common custom e-textbook program using a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. All programs are expected to result in savings for their students; at both Indiana University and 3

Virginia State University, the programs have already met with success in this regard. Hanover identified five universities in the early stages of entering a program that involves the bulk purchasing of electronic materials through joint negotiations. The program would mimic the strategy employed by Indiana University, in that students would be required to pay a set course materials fee to their institution, which would subsequently purchase e-textbooks at discounted prices. Trine University s School of Professional Studies has mandated that all faculty members teach from digital editions of their textbooks through an agreement with Follett Higher Education Group. The system does not require faculty members to significantly change their curricula, and has reduced the cost of textbooks to students by approximately 50 percent. Electronic textbooks offer substantial potential for customization. Several services, including AcademicPub and Flat World Knowledge, allow instructors to design their own textbooks using materials in their libraries. Major publishers, such as McGraw-Hill Higher Education and Macmillan Publishers, have also developed platforms that facilitate the customization of course materials. Textbook providers and electronic textbook platforms used by postsecondary institutions vary. Providers of free textbooks and educational materials include Flat World Knowledge, OpenStax College, and Connexions; platforms for electronic textbooks include Courseload and CaféScribe. Other supplementary approaches to the problem of high textbook cost, such as the use of faculty websites to collect information and make it available to students, should be considered alongside textbook purchasing decisions. 4

Textbook Costs and Solutions The average price of textbooks rose 186 percent between 1986 and 2005, and continues to increase at a rate faster than inflation. 1 Indeed, the cost of educational materials is rising faster than the cost of living. 2 More and more, this situation presents an obstacle to students. Textbook costs are currently comparable to 26 percent of tuition at state universities and 72 percent of tuition at community colleges. 3 A recent survey conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that seven in 10 college students reported not purchasing a textbook at least once because they found the price too high. The cost of educational materials is rising at a faster rate than the cost of living, posing a significant obstacle to students and institutions alike. A large majority of the students who made this decision expected to perform worse in the class for which they did not purchase a textbook. 4 Furthermore, 81 percent of students reported being negatively affected because a publisher had released a new edition of a textbook, which either decreased the resale value of their used text or made the purchase of a used textbook impossible. 5 The release of new editions of textbooks is a common strategy employed by publishers to ensure income from sales. Publishers only make money when students purchase new books, and therefore produce new versions of textbooks even when the content has not changed significantly. 6 However, publishers and students are not the only stakeholders in the textbook business. Indeed, many different groups are involved in the decisions surrounding educational materials: 7 Faculty: Faculty wish to acquire high quality materials that motivate students and facilitate learning, but must be cognizant of the cost, which can affect student accessibility to materials. Students: Students have an economic and academic interest in high-quality, affordable educational materials. Authors: Authors control both the availability of the educational materials and initial cost. 1 Young, Jeffrey. To Save Students Money, Colleges May Force a Switch to E-Textbooks. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 24 October 2010. http://chronicle.com/article/the-end-of-the-textbook-as-we/125044/ 2 Walton, Ian, et al. Textbook Issues: Economic Pressures and Academic Values. The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, 2005, p. 7. http://www.eric.ed.gov/pdfs/ed510582.pdf 3 Redden, Molly. 7 in 10 Students Have Skipped Buying a Textbook Because of Its Cost, Survey Finds. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 23 August 2011. http://chronicle.com/article/7-in-10-students-have-skipped/128785/ 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Young, Op. cit. 7 Walton et al., Op. cit., pp. 9-12. 5

Publishers: Publishers are for-profit businesses and play a major role in determining costs. Bookstores: Bookstores are responsible for ensuring that adequate numbers of textbooks and other course materials selected by faculty are available to students. Bookstores may choose to sell new or used materials, and profit from both, but should attempt to keep the profit margin from textbooks at a minimum (to keep prices affordable for students). College staff: Bookstore staff should aim to minimize the cost of books, and also communicate with faculty members about the price and availability of materials. Used book buyers: Used book buyers serve a function that bookstores sometimes cannot serve. If a book is no longer being used on one campus, buyers can purchase used copies and sell them at other campuses. College administration: The administration s role is to provide the fiduciary framework necessary to ensure maximum access to textbooks and other course materials for students. There is clearly great range in the type and degree of interest in the production and sale of educational materials. Furthermore, textbook adoption practices vary by discipline. Science departments, for example, often have a common text, while English instructors typically select their own readings. 8 Research suggests that where the possibility of a common textbook exists, there is likely to be disagreement. Standardization of texts across courses or Benefits of Common Textbooks Guarantee similar experience for students across different sections of a course May ease transition and integration of new instructors Facilitates smoother management of large departments with TA or adjunct instructors departments, which can lower the cost of educational materials by allowing bulk purchases, has both benefits and drawbacks, from a pedagogical as well as political perspective. Among the benefits of standardization are the guarantee of a similar experience for students across sections of a course; the opportunity for new instructors to learn about a department s standards and practices; and the ease of managing large departments that use graduate students and adjuncts to teach many courses. Drawbacks include dissent among faculty members, who argue that they lose academic freedom, and a reduction in choices for students. 9 Institutional and departmental structures strongly influence the potential for success of a common textbook system; primarily online institutions with a small 8 Ibid., p. 20. 9 Hara, Billie. Academic Freedom vs. Mandated Course Content. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 November 2010. http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/academic-freedom-vs-mandated-coursecontent/28764 6

number of full-time faculty members who set curricula for adjuncts, for example, may find the transition to common textbooks easier than institutions with high numbers of historically independent professors. The advent of electronic textbooks (e-textbooks) has further altered the market for educational materials. The current generation of entering college and university students Generation Y, also known as the Millennials are digital natives, characterized by an openness toward new technologies and familiarity with information sharing and social networking. 10 These characteristics mean that Millennials are often more likely to embrace an electronic platform for textbooks, which many perceive as a natural next step for the textbook industry. Thus far, such a transformation has been limited by the fear of piracy and the resulting restrictive digital resource management features. 11 However, while 97 percent of textbooks sold in 2010-2011 were paper, institutions are increasingly willing to consider e- textbooks in their plans to reduce educational materials costs for students. 12 Given these developments in technology and the diverse parties involved, it is impossible to devise a single solution to the problem of high textbook costs. Instead, colleges and universities across the nation are experimenting with various methods that may include one or more of the following features: E-textbooks Textbook standardization Bulk purchasing Customized e-textbooks Open-source e-textbooks Strategic Solutions Bulk Purchasing and Standardization of Printed Textbooks Rio Salado College, an online community college based in Tempe, Arizona serving approximately 60,000 students, uses the same printed textbooks in all sections of each course. The College purchases the books in bulk through an agreement with Pearson, its sole supplier of textbooks. This agreement allows for the customization of the textbooks by the College. It is possible for the College to include small amounts of content from other publishers to supplement that supplied by Pearson. 13 10 Dennis, Alan. e-textbooks at Indiana University: A Summary of Two Years of Research. Indiana University, August 2011, p. 2. http://etexts.iu.edu/files/etext%20pilot%20data%202010-2011.pdf 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Kolowich, Steve. Standardization and Savings. Inside Higher Ed, 24 June 2010. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/06/24/riosalado 7

The implementation of Rio Salado s cost-savings plan, launched in 2008, is reported to have met with little resistance from the College s faculty. Indeed, a faculty chair and former head of the faculty senate stated that there was unanimous support for the common textbook program on the part of the full-time faculty. However, their support, and the acceptance of the program by other staff members, is unsurprising given the organizational structure of the institution. The full-time faculty at Rio Salado comprises only 26 members; the rest are adjuncts who have significantly less power... and are in many cases not based on campus. 14 Even before this switch to common textbooks, the full-time faculty had significant influence on the content and delivery of courses by the adjuncts, whose personal contribution to the curriculum is limited to posting announcements, notes, and supplementary content such as video on the course s learning-management page. 15 As this arrangement might suggest, the common textbook system is not appropriate for all The success of a common institutional structures. The president of the textbook system depends on both faculty senate, John Jensen, has noted that faculty composition and Faculty who insist on being able to manipulate institutional structure. content, insert or remove content, or otherwise reshape their courses would probably not be comfortable with a distance learning setting with custom texts. 16 The system has resulted in significant savings for Rio Salado s students. The College can retail the books for 50 percent of what they used to have to charge in order to break even, and in two and a half years, the model has reportedly saved students approximately $6 million. 17 Bulk Purchasing or Production of E-Textbooks Single University Model Several institutions have also experimented with the bulk purchasing of electronic textbooks. For example, Indiana University has implemented an e-textbook pilot project involving 5,300 students in 130 class sections. 18 Once fully implemented, the system is set up so that all students pay a course materials fee, which covers electronic educational materials purchased by the University. Professors are responsible for choosing the materials, but the University is responsible for purchasing arrangements. The experimental phase, which lasted three semesters, was free for students; 14 Ibid. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. 17 Ibid. 18 Young, Jeffrey. 5 Universities to Test Bulk-Purchasing of E-Textbooks in Bid to Rein In Costs. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 January 2012. http://chronicle.com/article/5-universities-to-test/130373/ 8

however, once fully implemented, the plan calls for students to pay a fee of about $35 per course. 19 In the pilot project phase, students saved an average of $25 per book. 20 Indiana University uses Courseload, a company that serves as a broker by combining content from multiple publishers (namely, McGraw-Hill, Pearson and John Wiley). 21 These publishers are expected to benefit from the arrangement not just because they have a more stable source of income, but also because the incentive for students to download illegal copies of textbooks is diminished. 22 Students in the Indiana University program have access to the educational materials as long as they are enrolled, rather than just until the end of a course. 23 A summary of two years of research conducted by Indiana University on its e- textbook pilot study was published in August 2011. The assessment examined the use of e-textbooks by students enrolled in 22 different courses, ranging from business to astronomy, at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Over 700 of the 1,037 students enrolled in the courses contributed their responses to the University for the study. Sixty-eight percent of these students did not print any pages from their e-textbooks, indicating that they went completely digital. 24 However, although the e-textbooks allow students to create highlights and annotations, only 22 percent of students reported annotating more of the e-textbook as compared to a paper textbook. Student preference for the e-textbooks as compared to paper versions varied by course, ranging from 36 to 84 percent. An Indiana University study found that for students, the three most important e-textbook characteristics were: Instructor annotations Sustainability Cost Preference for e-textbooks was affected by students prior experience with the medium and the extent to which a student perceived that the instructor made use of the textbook. In short, students seem to become more comfortable with e-textbooks over time, and prefer e- textbooks when they are actively incorporated into the course, as opposed to being treated as reference material. According to the University of Indiana s study, the three e-textbook characteristics students considered most important were instructor annotations, sustainability, and cost. 25 Based on its findings, the institution suggests using this e-textbook model (which includes mandatory purchase of the book through a course fee) only for courses in which the 19 Young. To Save Students Money, Op. cit. 20 Young. 5 Universities to Test, Op. cit. 21 Young. To Save Students Money, Op. cit. 22 Ibid. 23 Dennis, Op. cit., p. 2. 24 Ibid., p. 3. 25 Ibid., p. 4. 9

instructor intends to make substantial use of the book through reading assignments and annotations. 26 A similar system in place at the business school at Virginia State University (VSU) takes the standardization process one step further. In 13 of the school s courses, e- textbooks are standard. The books are offered through the Flat World Knowledge platform, which provides free access to textbooks online. Normally, however, Flat World Knowledge requires students to pay $24.95 for a PDF version of a textbook. Through its agreement with the company, VSU was able to receive a bulk rate of $20 per student per course for the textbooks and a study guide, an audio version, or an ipad edition. 27 Since its launch, the VSU program has met with great success. During the 2010-2011 academic year, when the open source textbooks were provided free in nine core business courses, the School of Business saved its students approximately $204,000 in textbook expenses. According to Dean and Professor of Management Dr. Mirta Martin, more than half of VSU s business students could not afford to purchase textbooks before the implementation of the program, but in the second semester of the initiative, every student in the nine participating courses used the textbooks provided through Flat World Books. 28 The institution has subsequently increased the number of courses for which digital textbooks are standard to 13, and has stated that the goal is to be 100% digital by Fall 2013. 29 In keeping with this objective, the School of Business recently created an online learning community through GoingOn s Academic Engagement Network, a communication and collaboration platform. This platform and the adoption of e-textbooks offers the following benefits, according the institutional website: 30 Digital textbooks are less costly to the student (i.e., $19.95 per book per course instead of $200-$300). Digital textbooks and study materials can be downloaded in a variety of formats, including, epub files, PDF files, mp3 files, MOBI files, etc. Once downloaded, the textbooks are students to keep forever. All chapters can be printed. The system allows students to read or listen to the textbook information in whatever format works best for them. The Learning Community allows for interaction between students and the instructor in a format that today s student is comfortable with. 26 Ibid., p. 6. 27 Young. To Save Students Money, Op. cit. 28 The Flat World Experience. Virginia State Reginald F. Lewis School of Business. http://www.vsubusiness.org/story/flat-world-experience 29 About Us. Virginia State Reginald F. Lewis School of Business. http://www.vsubusiness.org/page/rflschool-business-mission-statement 30 Ibid. 10

The Learning Community allows the instructor to incorporate up-to-date information into the course at any time. The system allows for continuous improvement. For its focus on technological participation and digital content, the School of Business was awarded the 2011 Governor s Award for Technology in Innovation in Higher Education. 31 The College of Business at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh also makes use of online texts for the purpose of standardization, but does so on its own, rather than through an existing platform. Using a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, the College has created a common custom e-textbook program, wherein one professor writes about 80 percent of the material for a course, and the rest is customizable by other professors. 32 The College expects this project to both save students money and incentiviz[e] cross-discipline awareness to improve curricular uniformity. 33 Bulk Purchasing of E-Textbooks Multi-University Model Operating on the understanding that bulk purchasing of textbooks can lead to significant savings for students, five universities Cornell University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Minnesota, the University of Virginia, and the University of Wisconsin are experimenting with the bulk purchasing of electronic educational materials through joint negotiations. The model would require students to pay a fee to their universities, which would then purchase e-books at discounted prices. 34 Currently, this model has only been implemented for certain courses, and universities have not required students to pay a fee for online access to the e-texts. However, students may elect to purchase a full paper edition of a book for $28. 35 If the pilot exercise is successful, the students will also begin to cover the cost of online access themselves. 36 Like Indiana University, the five universities participating in this initiative will use the Courseload reader and annotation platform, which can be integrated with existent 31 Executive Summaries, 2010 Governor s Technology Winners and Honorable Mentions. Governor s Technology Awards. http://www.covits.org/governor%27s_technology_awards/execsummaries.cfm#digitalatthecore 32 Terris, Ben. An E-Textbook Program Aims to Benefit Students and Professors. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 October 2009. http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/an-e-textbook-program-aims-tobenefit-studentsprofessors/8533 33 Kolowich, Steve. Customized Uniformity. Inside Higher Ed, 20 October 2009. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/10/20/ebooks 34 Young. 5 Universities to Test, Op. cit. 35 Internet2, McGraw-Hill, Courseload, and Five Universities Implement etext Pilot in Spring 2012. University of Minnesota, Office of Information Technology. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/oit/news/2012/01/internet2_mcgraw-hill_courselo.html 36 Young. 5 Universities to Test, Op. cit. 11

learning management systems. Also key to the success of this endeavor is the support and organizational power of Internet2, a networking consortium of universities and industry and research representatives that provides resources and services to its members. Its NET+ Services branch aggregates the IT needs of university members and efficiently contracts with leading commercial firms for services tailored to that community, and was instrumental in setting up the joint e-textbook pilot program at the five universities. 37 Both students and publishers stand to benefit from this arrangement: students pay a predictable and relatively low fee for their materials, and publishers have a more reliable source of income than when students purchase materials on their own. 38 However, only one publisher, McGraw-Hill, has agreed to participate in the project thus far. The universities have also found it difficult to push down the price per textbook. 39 As this initiative is still in its earliest stages, it is not yet possible to report on resulting outcomes. Individual Purchasing of E-Textbooks Single University Model Trine University s School of Professional Studies, which serves 500 adult students through online and classroom-based programs across Indiana, recently mandated that all faculty members teach from digital editions of their textbooks. The digital textbooks are made accessible to students through a website called CaféScribe, which is operated by Follett Higher Education Group. 40 Unlike some other e-textbook purchases described in this report, the Trine University system does not require faculty members to significantly alter their curricula. A Follett Trine University s School of Professional Studies recently mandated that all faculty members teach from digital editions of their textbooks. representative explains that CaféScribe collaborated with faculty members to make sure that textbooks they normally use are made available in their online textbook store, and have worked with publishers to get traditional textbooks converted into e- textbooks where necessary. 41 The cost of Follett s e-textbooks is low enough to result in significant savings for students. For example, a new business paper textbook that costs $144 at the Follett 37 Internet2, McGraw-Hill, Courseload, and Five Universities Implement etext Pilot in Spring 2012. Op. cit. 38 Young. 5 Universities to Test... Op. cit. 39 Ibid. 40 Kaya, Travis. Trine U. School Requires E-Textbooks for Entire Curriculum. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2 December 2010. http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/trine-u-school-requires-etextbooks-for-entire-curriculum/28509 41 Ibid. 12

bookstore costs only $69 in digital form. 42 This fact is clearly advertised on Trine University s website, which states that etextbooks reduce the cost of textbooks by nearly 50 percent while also providing new tools such as the electronic highlighter, electronic note taking, note sharing, and the ability to collaborate with other students. 43 The website also advertises the searchability of e-textbooks and their convenience; since e-textbooks are stored on the computer, they are easier to transport than ordinary paper books. 44 This computer storage is permanent. Follett s digital course materials do not expire and belong to the student who purchased them indefinitely, much like a traditional textbook. 45 The students and faculty at Trine University were prepared for the switch to e- textbooks through informational pamphlets and university-run live webinars, in which students and educators were able to ask questions. These resources were particularly necessary in the context of Trine University, as most of the institution s students are in their mid-20s to early-30s, and possibly less able to adapt to a new way of learning than younger students would be. 46 Free E-Textbooks Another avenue of increasing interest to colleges seeking to minimize the cost of educational materials is the use of free, open-source content. At Rice University, for example, the textbooks for five introductory courses are being offered at no cost through the non-profit publisher OpenStax College. They are available to students through Rice s Connexions platform. 47 OpenStax s free textbooks are peer-reviewed, and are unique in that they constitute a series of free self-contained textbooks designed to compete head-to-head with major publishers. 48 Indeed, the organization plans to have free books for 20 of the most common college courses within the next five years. These books can be accessed directly by students and also modified by instructors. OpenStax s offerings are not, however, limited to open-source material; it has also partnered with for-profit companies to offer supplementary materials for a cost, expanding the customization potential for professors. OpenStax also makes paper copies of its 42 Gregory, Anne. Verbatim: Trine School Will Use Only etextbooks. The Journal Gazette, 23 November 2010. http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20101123/blogs01/101129792 43 About. Trine University School of Professional Studies. http://www.trine.edu/adult_students/about/default.cfm 44 E-Textbooks. Trine University Virtual Campus. http://www.trine.edu/virtualcampus/resources/e_textbooks.cfm 45 Gregory, Op. cit. 46 Carter, Dennis. Dean: Training Should Precede ebook Use. ecampus News, 20 January 2011. http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/dean-training-before-ebooks/ 47 Smith, Mitch. Why Pay for Intro Textbooks? Inside Higher Ed, 7 February 2012. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/07/rice-university-announces-open-source-textbooks 48 Smith, Op. cit. 13

books available to students for the cost of printing them. Most materials cost less than $25 to print. 49 More materials are available through Rice s Connexions site, which contains both course and scholarly materials. It currently holds over 3,000 modules of information and 166 courses. 50 Rice plans to use Connexions for its new University Press. It will have an editorial board composed of members with the same scholarly standing as can be found at top university presses. 51 Connexions and OpenStax organizers believe that the programs could save students $90 million in the next five years if the books capture 10 percent of the national market. 52 The potential benefits of the model are clear. Its drawbacks include reluctance to change from professors, and also a lack of supplementary features typically offered by competitor publishers. 53 The State of Washington, which has nearly half a million students at 34 two-year colleges, has also explored the option of making open-source materials available to instructors. The motivation for this stems primarily from financial considerations. Many of the students receive financial aid from the state legislature, which therefore finds a high expense in textbooks. A $750,000 The State of Washington has explored the option of making open-source materials available to college instructors. grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is being used to build the Open Course Library, which will contain online course materials for 81 of the state s highest-enrollment courses, with a price cap of $30 per course. 54 These courses, developed with the help of community college instructors, librarians, and web designers from across the state, are available online and accessible to anyone, and can be customized by instructors who wish to use the materials but add or drop specific components. 55 The project has met with several obstacles. The $30-per-course cap on materials makes the inclusion of e-textbooks from traditional publishers challenging. Translated primary texts are also difficult to obtain without exceeding the cost limit. Furthermore, not all open-source materials are appropriate for the needs of community college students. For example, basic math materials are difficult to 49 Jaschik, Scott. New Model for Scholarly Publishing. Inside Higher Ed, 14 July 2006. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/07/14/rice 50 Ibid. 51 Ibid. 52 Smith, Op. cit. 53 Ibid. 54 Campbell, Alex. New Digital Tools Let Professors Tailor Their Own Textbooks for Under $20. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 9 October 2011. http://chronicle.com/article/new-digital-tools-let/129309/ 55 Overland, Martha Ann. State of Washington to Offer Online Materials as Texts. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 9 January 2011. http://chronicle.com/article/state-of-washington-to-offer/125887/ 14

obtain. It can also be difficult to blend work from different free sources, given varying licensing rules. 56 Customized E-Textbooks Several of the programs discussed above have touched upon the potential for customization offered by downloadable or online-based textbooks. Recognizing this potential, some companies and publishers have developed platforms to facilitate the customization process. For example, the AcademicPub service allows professors to create their own textbooks by compiling relevant materials. AcademicPub currently contains 2 million pieces of content and 55 textbooks from 75 publishers, including major university presses like Princeton University Press and Cambridge University Press. 57 Notably, it does not have content from Prentice Hall, Cengage Learning, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, or Macmillan. 58 Although this may deter some from using the service, more than 600 instructors have registered to use AcademicPub since its launch. 59 AcademicPub allows students to buy each book in digital or paper form. Students who opt for the latter must pay an additional $10, and an additional 3 cents per page for books longer than 100 pages. 60 While the printed books are more expensive than online versions, they are nonetheless significantly cheaper than classic textbooks. For example, a textbook designed by a professor of marketing at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville cost $14.95 in digital form, $27 as a printed paperback book, and $45 as a printed hardcover book. Flat World Knowledge, mentioned above, also allows for customization of its materials, using works by authors willing to publish under a Creative Commons license. With approximately 3,000 customers, Flat World Knowledge is larger than AcademicPub, though not all customers choose to tailor available materials. Only about 20 percent currently engage in customization. 61 Major publishers are also allowing professors and institutions to custom-build textbooks. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, for example, has a custom-publishing system called Create, and Macmillan Publishers offers a similar service called DynamicBooks. 62 56 Ibid. 57 Campbell, Op. cit. 58 Ibid. 59 Ibid. 60 Ibid. 61 Ibid. 62 Young, Jeffrey R. As Textbooks Go Digital, Will Professors Build Their Own Books? The Chronicle of Higher Education, 8 October 2010. http://chronicle.com/article/as-textbooks-go-digital-will/124881/ 15

Project Evaluation Form Hanover Research is committed to providing a work product that meets or exceeds member expectations. In keeping with that goal, we would like to hear your opinions regarding our reports. Feedback is critically important and serves as the strongest mechanism by which we tailor our research to your organization. When you have had a chance to evaluate this report, please take a moment to fill out the following questionnaire. http://www.hanoverresearch.com/evaluation/index.php Caveat The publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this brief. The publisher and authors make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this brief and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. There are no warranties which extend beyond the descriptions contained in this paragraph. No warranty may be created or extended by representatives of Hanover Research or its marketing materials. The accuracy and completeness of the information provided herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any particular results, and the advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every member. Neither the publisher nor the authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Moreover, Hanover Research is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Members requiring such services are advised to consult an appropriate professional. 16