Ed Department rolling out free digital textbook program - Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

The U.S. Department of Education plans its first effort to expand access to free, open digital textbooks and materials for colleges nationwide with a $5 million federal appropriate, The Washington Post reports. The money will support development or expansion of open peer-reviewed academic materials under an intellectual property license that allows free use. A recent study by the Babson Survey Research Group showed that the share of college instructors using open educational resources (OER) grew from 5 percent in the 2015-2016 academic year to 9 percent the next academic year. https://www.educationdive.com/news/ed-department-rolling-out-free-digital-textbook-program/523250/