Earlier in 2019, the University Library, in partnership with the ISU Student Government and the Open & Affordable Education Committee, asked students to share their experiences with textbooks. How do our students feel about the materials they use in their courses? How do the costs of textbooks affect their studies, and what cost-saving measures have they taken to navigate high costs?
You can see one outcome of these results through our interview with former Student Government Vice President, Juan Bibiloni, on Youtube. This video is the first of a new series on the Iowa State student experience with textbooks, aptly titled "Student Stories."
In addition to Juan’s video interview, an OAEC representative from the University Library asked students to share their thoughts about textbooks during Open Education Week. The responses to this request were varied, but many students expressed dissatisfaction with the course materials required in their classes:
“Books are getting so expensive and it’s honestly not affordable. As an out of state student, tuition is already high and with books to add to that, ugh. This semester I got three books from friends. It's cheaper and is the more affordable way to go.” – Aerospace Engineering Major
“I use discount websites to rent textbooks or I borrow necessary books from my peers; the cost of textbooks is needlessly prohbitive [sic] to students, and I try to cut costs however I can.” – Political Science Major
Research shows that this experience is not a novel event. A recent survey of college students in Florida found that 27% of students (n = 5,816) shared books with their classmates to reduce the cost of textbooks (Florida Virtual Campus, 2018).
As our committee continues to expand this series, we will be asking students about positive experiences they have had with their course materials as well, from excellent books and resources they’ve used to affordable content they’ve appreciated having assigned in their classes.
The Open & Affordable Education Committee supports course content affordability on campus through partnerships with the University Library, ISU Book Store, Senior Vice President and Provost, and other offices on campus. Our projects can be seen in more detail on our About Us webpage.