Attention all introductory statistics teachers!
You are invited to participate in the Free Textbook Initiative, a challenge to introductory statistics instructors to save students $1,000,000 by using 10,000 free textbooks before August 2014. This initiative was launched at the Joint Statistical Meetings. Imagine yourself giving a $100 scholarship to each of your students; that's what you do when you adopt a free textbook. To take part in the effort:
- Search: find a free textbook you like. Three textbooks to consider: openintro.org/freestat. Two of these books have inexpensive paper copies available. More free textbooks: openintro.org/morefreestat.
- Evaluate: ask your students to compare your current textbook to the free textbook of your choosing next term.
- Adopt: if student feedback is positive and you are comfortable with the textbook, adopt! If the free textbook isn't right for you or your students, consider testing a different free textbook.
With free resources, you can "try before you buy", even if you aren't paying for anything.
If you are ready to join the movement, the OpenIntro team would love to hear about your and your students' experiences. OpenIntro is hosting this initiative as a way to both assist and recognize instructors who want to lower financial barriers to education. We're also here to provide instructor support. To help keep us connected and track your contribution towards the $1,000,000 goal, sign up at openintro.org/adopt.
Update: We made the goal! We estimate that about half of students buy a paperback, and OpenIntro sold about 5,500 paperbacks of the 2nd Edition of OpenIntro Statistics from Summer 2012 to Summer 2014. This puts the estimated impact at 11,000 students, or $1.1 million. As of the end of 2020, OpenIntro has sold about 60,000 paperbacks with an estimated student savings of over $12 million.
Yours,
OpenIntro