Dive Brief:
- Some schools have launched degree programs with no textbook costs, but are finding that moving from small-scale adoption to institution or systemwide adoption is a big leap.
- Campus Technology reports on the lessons from the California State University system's shift, including support at the administrative level for policy changes and resource allocation as well as the creation of an OER culture among faculty.
- Key to developing demand among faculty is making it easy to find OER resources through some kind of curated library, and Cal State recommends offering other low-cost education materials to bridge the quality gaps in OER.
Dive Insight:
Tidewater Community College's Z-Degree program in business administration, billed as the nation's first textbook-free degree, has provided a strong marketing opportunity for the school. Parents and prospective students are paying attention to the costs beyond tuition as the overall price of higher ed continues to rise.
At Cal State Fullerton, one professor is challenging a reprimand for using a textbook and otherwise free course materials instead of the $180 text supported by his department for a multi-section math course. Even in a system that has promoted OER for nearly 20 years, there is resistance to alternative materials.