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(Adelphi, Md., Dec. 5, 2014) – The University System of Maryland's Center for Academic Innovation at its inaugural Leading Academic Change Summit, co-hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, identified two leading barriers to academic innovation: shortage of funding and institutional culture.

The Kirwan Center and the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Student Council are collaborating on the Maryland Open Source Textbook (M.O.S.T.) initiative, which is providing interested faculty with opportunities to explore the feasibility of adopting open-source materials for use in their courses.

The average American student pays about $1,200 a year for books alone. An experiment currently underway is turning up some hopeful results. In effect, professors would be encouraged to put class material online instead of charging students hundreds of dollars for a printed textbook.

BALTIMORE — 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.

Using free online materials such as massive open online courses in traditional classes can help colleges teach more efficiently without harming students, according to a long-awaited report from Ithaka S+R, an education-technology nonprofit group, and the University System of Maryland.

Unsustainable costs, a digital landscape and low-cost alternatives force change to the textbook industry.

Competency-based education can help motivated students. But critics say it’s no panacea.

An award-winning Bowie State University professor and mobile journalism expert is joining four instructors to teach a free online course to nearly 3,000 people in 130 countries about how to tell compelling stories using their smartphones.

A newly conceived UB/Towson MBA curriculum - created with significant input from business leaders at prominent area companies - will be introduced as of the fall 2014 semester, beginning Aug. 27.