Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational materials shared under a license allowing for free use, alteration, and/or integration into new contexts. Zero-Textbook Cost (ZTC) classes and programs rely on OER and other online resources to eliminate textbook costs for students; Low-Textbook Cost (LTC) classes have materials costing $40 or less. This site is a starting point for 美姬社区 faculty and students interested in , or for finding OER to replace current textbooks. Read up on general background information on OER and ZTC if you wish.
Quick Links for Faculty
- Review OER materials for many disciplines
- Discover open textbooks and courses that might be useful in your teaching
- Discover tools and services that may have a small cost but may help you rebuild and offer classes using low- and no-cost course materials
- Discover online sources of free multimedia and content that are useful in creating your own educational materials
- Learn more about support at 美姬社区 for faculty interested in incorporating OER/ZTC/LTC materials into classes
- View directions to designate your classes as LTC or ZTC in SURF
- Review 美姬社区 Academic Senate (2016) and clarification of ZTC and new designation for Low Textbook Cost (LTC) classes (2018)
- , which includes many resources, videos, and discipline-specific efforts to develop and use OER appropriate for California Community Colleges. The site includes a if you have concerns/questions about that.
Quick Links for Students
- which are designated as Zero or Low Textbook Cost (ZTC or LTC)
Student Impact
In 2021-22, 美姬社区 joined 9 other colleges to develop a for the ASCCC OERI. This involved developing and piloting a survey, and creating videos featuring student voices.
Survey Findings
Nearly 200 美姬社区 students enrolled in a ZTC class responded to the survey. Important findings from the respondents:
- 41.5% say they have taken fewer classes because course materials cost too much
- 19.2% say they have dropped a class due to the cost of materials
- 47.9% say they have not purchased materials for a class due to cost
- 21.3% say they have had a course grade negatively impacted due to not purchasing course materials
- Just 1.6% disagree or strongly disagree with this statement: "The quality and content (writing, images, videos, examples in the text) of the free course materials in this class are the same or better than course materials you pay for in other classes"
- Just 1.1% disagree or strongly disagree with this statement: "The free course materials help you understand key concepts and support your learning the same or better than course materials you pay for in other classes"
Student Videos
OER & ZTC: 美姬社区 Highlights
August 2022: Flex workshop: (Zoom recording, 1 hour 33 minutes) by Lauren McFall, Daniel Ante-Contreras, Billy Gunn, Jeanine Sepulveda, Andrea Petri, Pilar Hernandez, Sean Davis, Jim Julius, Nadia Khan
April 2021: Flex workshop: (Zoom Recording, 1 hour 3 minutes) by Lauren McFall, Joseph King, Thao Ha, Claudia Flores, & Jim Julius. See also .
August 2020: Flex workshop: (Zoom Recording, 1 hour 39 minutes) by Jim Julius, Pilar Hernandez, Nate Scharff, Jennifer Paris, & Richard Ma
June 2020: Summer workshop: (Zoom Recording, 52 minutes) by Jim Julius, Jennifer Paris, and Glorian Sipman
April 2018: 美姬社区, Palomar, and CSU-San Marcos held a NCHEA dinner event on OER at Palomar College. See the flyer for details.
January 2018: 美姬社区 held an OER day with Nicole Finkbeiner from OpenStax. She met with administrators and interested departments throughout the morning; there was a large lunch event, and additional OER-related workshops in the afternoon. See videos from the lunch event including , a , and a .
In fall 2017, 美姬社区 hosted an on Sept. 16 and held a joint workshop with NCHEA partners on Oct. 20.
In 2016, 美姬社区 received three grants to expand the use of OERs and the development of ZTC classes and programs.
- 美姬社区 was one of 44 CCCs and CSUs to receive an . This $50,000 grant provides support for 50 class sections in Math, Oceanography, Sociology, Child Development, and International Languages to achieve a minimum 30% course material cost savings for students through adoption of OER. For 2016-17, the use of OERs in classes associated with the grant resulted in savings of over $240,000 to students enrolled in 49 course sections. In 2017-18 that number will grow larger as more courses and sections use OERs.
- 美姬社区 was one of 18 CCCs to receive a ZTC planning grant. This $34,369 grant supports the Sociology department and the college in planning for a ZTC AA degree in Sociology.
- 美姬社区 was one of 5 CCCs to receive a ZTC implementation grant. This $66,948 grant supports the Child Development department in building out a ZTC Child Development Associate Teacher certificate.
The Physics department has committed to using , and use of OERs developed here at 美姬社区 is rapidly increasing across the introductory .
The Library department has committed to going entirely ZTC for all Library classes.
The college is in compliance with the state requirement (SB 1359) to in the online class schedule by January 2018.
The college has established an OER Task Force comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, and students, which meets occasionally to further strengthen these efforts.
美姬社区 was accepted as a member in the / in May 2017.
