What is Textbooks

Textbooks are the cornerstone of higher education. College Board stated in a study that the national average for one text is $153 per course, and over the course of a year, the average college student spends more than $1,200 on books and materials. Endless debates have posed the question of how students enrolled in higher education institutions can afford the rising cost of textbooks without it interfering in their education. Open education resources have provided one answer to this debate. The following chapter will discuss three main benefits of OER which are free access, standardization, and equity concerns. Lastly, the chapter will address the challenges pertaining to OER.