Make a lasting impact on education.
A recent report in Educational Researcher analyzed whether the adoption of open science textbooks significantly affects science learning outcomes. The study considered a pilot program at Mountain Heights Academy, Utah, which used open textbooks from CK-12 from 2010-2012, and focused on secondary students in earth systems, chemistry, and physics. This pilot used printed versions of open textbooks, available for approximately $5 each. The state of Utah is currently in the process of expanding this pilot statewide.
Notable Highlights:
- Open textbooks can be as effective, or even slightly more effective, than their traditional counterparts.
- Even in printed form, open textbooks can dramatically lower the cost of core instructional materials for students.
- In the pilot, students using open textbooks scored .65 points higher on end of year standardized science tests than students using traditional textbooks.
- Open textbooks provide a remedy to the crisis of access in education. This pilot allowed every child to have their own copy of the core instructional materials necessary to support learning for a small fraction of the traditional cost.
- There are implications for access and equity, teacher deskilling, and the affordability of the transition from print to digital curriculum materials.
- Not all open textbooks are created equal. It would be premature to suggest that every teacher who remixes their own open textbooks would expect to see uniform improvements in student performance.
