Abandoning our dependence on traditional textbooks may seem anathema to some, but this transition is already happening in higher education. International research firm WordsRated found spending on higher education textbooks hasdeclined for most of the past decade. More colleges are transitioning toward open educational resources (OER), open-license materials offered for free or at a low cost. The California Community College system launched a major OER initiative with the goal of creating"zero textbook cost" programs after many students spentmore on textbooks than on college courses themselves.
