Article
Preliminary Evidence on the Effect of an Open-Source Textbook in Second-Year Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Courses
Journal of Chemical Education
(2020)
Abstract
The use of open-source materials is growing in popularity throughout higher education. This Communication investigates the impact on student performance in a second-year undergraduate analytical chemistry course when an open-source textbook is assigned. For two separate semesters, approximately 80 students were enrolled in such a course across five sections. Both student populations had no statistically significant difference across a variety of demographic comparisons, and both achieved a nearly identical average score on the ACS Analytical Chemistry exam provided as the final cumulative test in both semesters. Thus, no detrimental effect was observed when transitioning a course to an open-source textbook, while providing the advantage of utilizing a more affordable option for students amid the overall rising cost of higher education.
Keywords
- open source textbooks
Disciplines
Publication Date
July 2, 2020
DOI
10.1021/ACS.JCHEMED.0C00293
Citation Information
James P. Grinias and Trevor I. Smith. "Preliminary Evidence on the Effect of an Open-Source Textbook in Second-Year Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Courses" Journal of Chemical Education Vol. 97 Iss. 8 (2020) p. 2347 - 2350 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/james-grinias/16/