One College’s Use of an Open Psychology Textbook

Keywords

open educational resources, open textbooks, electronic textbooks, Flat World Knowledge, open access, sustainability, psychology

Abstract

The high cost of textbooks is of concern not only to college students but also to society as a whole. Open textbooks promise the same educational benefits as traditional textbooks; however, their efficacy remains largely untested. We report on a case study about one community college’s adoption of a free online psychology textbook. During the fall semester 2011, 690 students used this book. Compared with students using a traditional text in the spring of 2011, students who used the free online textbook scored higher on departmental final examinations, had higher grade point averages in the class and had higher retention rates.

Original Publication Citation

John Hilton III and Carol Laman. “One college’s use of an open psychology textbook.” Open Learning. 27(3), pp. 265-272. (2012).

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2012-09-14

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6178

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Language

English

College

Religious Education

Department

Ancient Scripture

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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