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OpenStax Releases 6th Free Textbook

OpenStax College, a nonprofit organization operating out of Rice University, has released its sixth free textbook in electronic format: Introductory Statistics.

OpenStax College publishes free, open, peer-reviewed undergraduate textbooks for higher education with the aim of "improving student access to quality learning materials" and "access to higher education for all." To date, according to the organization, OpenStax textbooks have saved students $5 million in costs.

"In less than two years, educators teaching some 52,000 students at more than 360 community colleges, four-year colleges and research universities have adopted the books," according to OpenStax College.

The latest book is an update to Collaborative Statistics, originally released as a free textbook in 2008. Unlike the original, the latest version includes teaching and learning resources, including PowerPoint slides, online homework and tests, from third-party developer WebAssign.

Other titles published by OpenStax to date have included College Physics, Introduction to Sociology, Biology, Concepts of Biology and Anatomy and Physiology. Seven additional titles spanning economics, science and social sciences are currently in the works.

OpenStax College receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Maxfield Foundation, the Calvin K. Kazanjian Economics Foundation, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the Twenty Million Minds Foundation and Rice University.

Introductory Statistics is available now as a free download via openstaxcollege.org. Information on contributing to OpenStax' efforts can also be found on the group's site.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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