Top 3 free eBook sources for MOOC students


Some MOOCs require printed textbooks.

Students attracted to massive open online courses (MOOC) for their accessibility are sometimes required to purchase textbooks for MOOCs that offer nothing but a certificate upon completion.

This meshing of free MOOC offerings and pricey textbooks have drawn scorn from student activists, college educators, and lawmakers alike, creating a financial barrier for participating on online college courses that were meant to be completed by anyone with an internet connection.

There are, however, options for MOOC teachers who want to avoid textbook fees.

The website MOOC News and Reviews compiled a list of some of the web’s best free textbook resources, and eCampus News editors have whittled down the selection to the top three, as seen below.

1) Wikibooks: “While some books are original, others began as text copied over from other sources of free content textbooks found on the internet,” according to Wikibooks. “All of the site’s content is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license (or a compatible license). This means that, as with its sister project, Wikipedia, contributions remain copyrighted to their creators, while the licensing ensures that it can be freely distributed and reused subject to certain conditions.

“Wikibooks differs from Wikisource in that Wikisource collects exact copies and original translations of existing free content works, such as the original text of Shakespearean plays, while Wikibooks is dedicated either to original works or to significantly altered versions of existing works.”

2) Boundless Textbooks: This service, like Wikibooks, uses the Creative Commons license to make its books available for no charge.  The site requires registration, after which MOOC students can access and use textbook content from subjects including art history, chemistry, finance, biology, communications, and economics.

3) Open-source textbook provider Chegg announced in May that it would become the “platform on which Coursera students access their reading materials, all through our eTextbook reader.”

“Student needs are evolving so it’s important that they continue to learn in and out of the classroom,” said Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO of Chegg. “It’s vital that we put students first. Digital courses allow the most sought-after classes, taught by the most knowledgeable educators to be accessible, even worldwide, helping students finish college quicker and with less debt. At Chegg, we are thrilled to partner with Coursera to expand and adapt our digital offerings – from textbooks to supplemental content – to enhance the way students are learning today.”

Some Coursera courses will come with a free edition of the required text, accessible only through Chegg’s eReader.

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eCampus News Staff

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