Open-Source Texts Take Root at Md. Colleges

An experiment with open-source online textbooks at several Maryland universities last semester yielded promising results, and officials are preparing to expand the program this fall.

The University System of Maryland designed the Maryland Open-Source Textbook (MOST) Initiative to evaluate the feasibility of using online materials instead of printed books to ease the cost of purchasing multiple textbooks each year.

The voluntary pilot, which was conducted during the spring 2014 semester, involved 11 faculty members at seven colleges in Maryland, including two non-university system schools.