Affordable Instructional resources initiatives at universities in the USA

Abstract

Affordable higher education is one the most pressing issues in the United States which get intensified when coupled with rising costs of textbooks and educational materials. One of the effects of high costs of instructional materials is that it impacts undergraduate students’ college choices, results in course withdrawals, and poor academic performance. The objective of this study is to explore the components that are needed to launch and sustain Affordable Instructional Resources (AIR) initiatives (course materials provided at little to no cost) at highly selective universities. The study has employed a qualitative approach and collects data with the help of artifact analysis. The results display several strategies to build and sustain the AIR initiatives.