Why Open Textbooks?

Open Textbooks are a recent innovation in free, digital texts, and they’re the topic of this exciting panel discussion with experts from UTS and Deakin University.

Libraries are under increasing financial pressure from textbook publishers, with costs skyrocketing and limited licence conditions. Open textbooks offer a solution that is cost-effective for students. They can also be modified for local needs to correct gender, socio-cultural and Indigenous under-representation in the curriculum. There is mounting research to show that students benefit from free textbooks in similar ways to scholarships and financial aid – by lifting grades and course progress rates.

Panel session:

This session will be led by David Yeats with panel members Amanda White, Sarah Lambert (Deakin) and Mais Fatayer. We'll look at the challenges of adoption, adaptation and creation of Open Textbooks. We’ll also look at the Australian context and how open textbooks address redistributive (economic), recognitive and representational justice.

This event is hosted by UTS Library and the LX.lab as part of Open Access at UTS 2021 program.