Rice Uiversity Announces Open Source Textbooks

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/07/rice-university-announces-open-source-textbooks

by aheilbut • 14 years ago

109 13 14 years ago

Cyranix• 14 years ago

The Connexions platform has been around for a while now, and as I recall students whose classes used it were happy with it, from both a price and usability standpoint. Glad to see that the program is getting more ambitious -- the move ties in nicely with the backlash against Elsevier. The rise of open-source competitors to academic content providers seems like a huge win for students and institutions alike.

ChuckMcM• 14 years ago

Go Rice! This has been a long time in coming. Lots of undergraduate classes will be hugely benefited by this sort of effort.

stephenhuey• 14 years ago

I remember classmates coding for the Connexions platform just over a decade ago. Here's the announcement and video that Rice University just posted:

http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID...

keithpeter2• 14 years ago

The OpenStax publications look most interesting, alas, the e-mail notification form will only accept US zip codes.

greenyoda2• 14 years ago

Not sure why that's a problem, since that field is optional.

keithpeter2• 14 years ago

True, but it does 'send a message' if you see what I mean.

iqster• 14 years ago

Anyone see the list of textbooks? I couldn't find it.

greenyoda2• 14 years ago

Click on the orange "our books" button. It will take you to:

http://openstaxcollege.org/books

zellyn• 14 years ago

Wow. I wonder if "algebra-based" means "no calculus". http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/college-physics

drcube• 14 years ago

At my school, yep. There were two tracks: Physics for scientists and engineers, which used calculus, and physics for arts/humanities, which was "algebra based".

aheilbut• 14 years ago

I'm looking forward to when this hits high school.

Drbble• 14 years ago

ck12.org

derekyle• 14 years ago

If the publishing industry has anyone with half a brain working for them, they should see themselves going the way of the music industry. They need to innovate fast. Open source books are only part of the problem (and by problem, I mean only their problem). It is becoming easier and easier to find torrents to download full color versions of many of the most popular textbooks.

Rice Uiversity Announces Open Source Textbooks

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