Course Awards
2019
Iovino has replaced his previous textbook in this class, which cost approximately $90, with free and low-cost learning materials, as well as open-access software, from a variety of sources.
More from Iovino:
“During the last two years, I have been transitioning to the use OER materials in all of my advanced courses. The results have been extraordinary. My students have gone out of their way to express their satisfaction, and in my view, the positive effect on their academic performance has been evident.
This is a long-term project; I expect that it will take at least 10 years. Most of the existing OER material in high-level mathematics is not yet of the same level of refinement as the classical references. This is to be expected, since well-established mathematics textbooks have taken decades of preparation. For this reason, this approach is for instructors who are truly devoted to the cause and willing to spend the time required to supplement the existing open resources.
I am convinced that, in my discipline, all major educational institutions will be using OER almost exclusively within 2-3 decades. In the past, textbooks had to be published through traditional channels due mostly to the fact that mathematical typesetting had to be performed by highly-trained specialists. Today, thanks to the establishment of TeX as the standard for mathematical typesetting and the dissemination of top-quality open-source mathematical software, mathematics professionals (and students) are able to typeset their own material and use open-source software with professional results."