2025/06/03 by Sarah LeMire · 1 voice
Computer Science · #Open Education and E-Learning
paper · doi:10.1080/07317131.2025.2512283
openalex publication_date 2025/06/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
As part of campus affordability initiatives, colleges and universities have increasingly publicized their efforts to reduce student spending on textbooks and other course materials. Libraries have led the way in these efforts, typically through their work with open educational resources (OER), course reserves, and collection development. This study focuses on the cost savings associated with another textbook affordability method, commonly referred to as automatic textbook billing or inclusive access. This study examines the cost of automatically billed textbooks and courseware compared to the prices of the same items from other vendors. Findings suggest that, for instructors using courseware such as homework sites, automatic textbook billing may result in substantial savings for students. However, for courses where students use a textbook without courseware, students who are automatically billed may pay more.