Open education Open education is a collective term[1] to describe institutional practices and programmatic initiatives that broaden access to the learning and training traditionally offered through formal education systems. The qualifier "open" of open education refers to the elimination of barriers that can preclude both opportunities and recognition for participation in institution-based learning. One aspect of openness in or "opening up" education is the development and adoption of open educational resources. Institutional practices that seek to eliminate barriers to entry, for example, would not have academic admission requirements. Such universities include The Open University in Britain and Athabasca University in Canada.
Open source textbook publisher projects $1M in savings OpenStax has been well received on college campuses as textbook prices remain stubbornly high By Dennis Carter, Assistant EditorRead more by Denny Carter August 14th, 2012 Educators at 55 colleges will use OpenStax books this fall. College students in some of the most heavily attended courses in the country will eclipse $1 million in textbook savings after a Rice University-based publisher had 13,000 open-source books downloaded since June. 140,000 Free eBooks: SEARCH OPTIONS (165,000+ eBooks, eTexts, On-Line Books, eDocuments) Why not just do a Google search instead of looking here? This is more direct, indexes collections specifically, and won't throw out red herrings. Memphis Univ School Library "...an astonishing number of electronic books...from an equally astonishing number of sources ... impressive.
Spotlight on E-Learning Education Week's Spotlight on E-Learning brings together a collection of articles hand-picked by our editors for their insights on: Understanding different models of online learningChoosing the right e-learning companyIncreasing access and equity in digital learningHow elementary schools incorporate e-learningParental involvement in online educationWhat works best for classrooms that blend face-to-face and virtual learningNew standards outlining online-course design Elementary school online students need remediation or acceleration at junctures in their development some say are more crucial than any in high school. January 7, 2011 - Education Week
KSU Professor Developing ‘Flexbooks,’ The Textbook Of The Future There’s a new term you should add to your vocabulary. It’s ‘flexbooks’ and a Kansas State University assistant professor is hoping they change the way you teach. Click here to view an actual flexbook used at Kansas State University. E-textbooks are nothing new, neither are digital publications that you can actually update. Places like Academic Pub , Kno , and CourseSmart (amongst many others) all offer options but the term flexbooks is completely new. Student Research: Can Googling Replace $168 Intro to Psych Textbook? Electronic Textbooks | News Student Research: Can Googling Replace $168 Intro to Psych Textbook? By Dian Schaffhauser02/16/11 Students are taking the battle against high-priced textbooks into their own hands.
Sick of paying for textbooks? Get them now, free and online In the same way that free open online courseware is threatening to disrupt traditional universities, open textbook initiatives such as OpenStax College from Rice University threaten to do the same to the traditional textbook market. OpenStax College has taken five of the most popular topics taught in American universities and produced high quality peer-reviewed textbooks that are available for anyone to download for free. OpenStax College aims to try and save students at least $90 million over five years by capturing 10% of the US textbook market. Authors of textbooks in Flat World Knowledge receive a royalty on sales of printed versions of their textbooks, whereas authors contributing towards Rice University’s venture are volunteering their efforts. Bookboon funds open access through the inclusion of advertising in the books.
Best Free Children's eBooks Online Introduction This is a listing of 234 sites that legally offer free ebooks for children to read. There is a separate listing of audio books for children at Best Free Audio Books Online For Children. (72 sites) 50 Excellent Open Courses on Teaching With Technology The information below is taken from a recent posting on www.onlinecollegesanduniversities.com. It is a listing of 50 free online courses that are offered on a wide variety of instructional technology topics. The courses are free, self-directed, and accessible over the internet. Rather then listing a few examples in this posting I decided to paste all of the links below.
Build Your Own Digital Textbooks When the governors of the nation's two most populous states bang the drum for schools to switch to electronic textbooks, you gotta think that the transition away from paper and toward digital devices would be rapidly under way. Indeed, the big three textbook publishers do offer nearly all of their products in a digital form, just as they're scrambling to keep up with demand for supplemental, game-like resources. But while the rallying cry for open-source digital textbooks is coming from California and Texas, the real revolution is happening elsewhere. Create Your OwnIn districts from Arizona to Indiana, educators are opting out of textbooks altogether, culling from vetted electronic resources and courseware to essentially create their own texts. Online articles, simulations, and audiovisual files, along with lesson plans shared through wikis, can be found on the syllabi for a growing number of secondary classes. What to Do Now?