ANNOUNCEMENT
State University System of Florida Partners with Lumen Learning in Textbook Affordability Action Plan
Affordable, effective course materials will support increased learning and lower textbook costs for Florida students
Portland, Ore. (February 4, 2020) – Open education innovator Lumen Learning has been chosen as an official partner by The State University System of Florida’s Board of Governors to support their Action Plan for the Pricing of Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials, a key initiative of their Textbook Affordability Plan. As a confirmed “torchbearer” in the state’s program, Lumen is committed to providing access to high quality, affordable instructional materials for students enrolled in any of the 12 institutions that are part of the State University System of Florida. The Textbook Affordability Plan aligns closely with Lumen’s mission and work supporting effective learning for students and institutions across the U.S.
“Lumen was founded because we want every student to have access to the best learning materials possible, and this important equity issue encompasses both affordability and quality,” said Kim Thanos, co-founder and CEO of Lumen Learning. “We’re proud to have been chosen as an official partner by the State University System of Florida. This program is working to ensure every student can afford well-designed materials that effectively support their learning.”
Since confirming the partnership, Lumen has introduced a “ready-to-adopt” course catalog for the State University System of Florida and other Florida institutions. In this online resource, faculty are able to easily search for and review Lumen course materials for 50+ college subjects. To make searching the catalog simple for faculty members, it uses Florida’s common course codes and names used across the state. Course materials in the catalog include not only interactive e-textbooks and instructor supplements, but also Lumen’s award-winning digital courseware solutions OHM (online homework system) and Waymaker (personalized learning) designed to increase student engagement and success.
As part of its ongoing partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY), Lumen introduced a similar catalog tailored to the needs of SUNY faculty and students in 2018. “SUNY’s Ready-to-Adopt OER Catalog is an invaluable resource for our faculty and staff. It has been effective at raising awareness and supporting adoption of affordable, well-designed resources that support learning for SUNY students,” says Mark McBride, Library Senior Strategist at the State University of New York system.
The State University System of Florida Board of Governors’ plan requires approved vendors to provide students with print or digital course materials priced at $20 or less per credit hour. Lumen’s standard pricing is $25 per student per course, fitting easily within the university system’s textbook affordability mandate. Lumen course materials fully replace traditional publishers’ textbooks and online homework packages. This means a typical student using Lumen courseware in a three-credit course would pay just $8.33 per credit.
In addition to affordability and overall quality, accessibility is another significant consideration for Florida faculty, students, and institutions. Lumen courseware platforms both adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG) Level AA Success Criteria, a standard that meets or surpasses requirements for Section 508 compliance and makes course materials accessible to students with disabilities.
In courses that use Lumen courseware as the required textbook, students may access course content from the first day of class, and they may retain digital copies forever, even after the course has ended. Lumen uses learning data to identify areas where its content isn’t supporting effective learning. The company uses this analysis to make regular, targeted improvements that result in students always having access to up-to-date, evidence-based learning materials.
“Lumen’s course materials give me what I need to be successful right in my LMS,” says Jessica Traylor from Gordon State College in neighboring Georgia, who has been using Lumen course materials since the fall of 2018. “My students have access to top-notch learning materials and technology at a very low price. I’m so happy for the students and faculty in Florida.”
Last year Lumen supported 260,000 students across 350 institutions across the country.
About Lumen Learning
Lumen Learning uses open educational resources (OER) to provide affordable course materials that improve learning and replace expensive textbooks in high-enrollment college courses. Adding timely updates, learning design, and technical support to OER, Lumen makes the transition to open content simple, reliable, and effective for instructors and students.
Lumen OER courseware includes Waymaker personalized learning course materials, and OHM online homework system for math and other quantitative subjects. Over 350 colleges and universities across the U.S. use Lumen-supported digital courseware for in-person, online, and blended courses. Materials created by Lumen are published under Creative Commons Attribution licenses and contributed back to the education community. Learn more at lumenlearning.com, and visit our course catalog at lumenlearning.com/courses/.
©2020 This announcement is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license
Media Contacts
Brigeth Rivera, Digital Marketing Director, Lumen Learning