What will my students think about using an open textbook?
Answer
Students traditionally have a fair amount of discretion in using textbooks that are assigned to them by faculty; open textbooks do not change that equation. Open textbooks will provide the same quality and variety of content as commercially available textbooks, with the additional advantage that open textbooks will be more easily customized by faculty (to meet localized education needs), more accessible to physically challenged populations, and available for sale to students for significantly less cost (free, or as low-cost print versions) than commercially published textbooks.
It shows students that you care about their financial burden. Several systems will allow the students to either use the open books in print form or online, giving much more flexibility.