z-degree report | 2015 | tidewater community college

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in 2013 Tidewater Community College, the second largest of Virginia's 23 community colleges, launched the first-in-the world OER-based college degree. The "Z Degree" as it is called, is an associate of science degree in business administration that can be earned with zero textbook costs. This report contains the student success and cost-savings data from the two-year pilot of the Z Degree.

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  • THE Z-DEGREE: Removing Textbook Costs as a Barrierto Student Success through an OER-Based Curriculum

  • iZ-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    The Z-Degree: Removing Textbook Costs as a Barrier to Student Success through an OER-Based Curriculum

    ABSTRACTIn August 2013, Tidewater Community College became the first regionally accredited college in the U.S.

    to pilot an Associate of Science degree that allows a student to expend $0 on textbooks. The combined

    efforts of a 13-member faculty team, staff and administration created what is now known as the

    Z-Degree.

    PRESENTERSDr. Daniel T. DeMarte, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer

    Ms. Linda S. Williams, Professor of Business Administration

    PRESENTED TOThe William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

    Hosted by SPARC at the New Venture Fund Building

    February 11, 2015

    Washington, D.C.

  • iiZ-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    PROGRAM SUMMARY The College Board estimates annual textbook costs at $1,168 so it is not surprising that a recent study by

    U.S. PRIG found that 78% of students admit to having forgone a textbook at least once due to cost.

    In January 2013, Tidewater Community College began the process to become the first college in the

    U.S. to create an Associate of Science degree based entirely on openly licensed content. The combined

    efforts of a 13-member faculty team, college staff and administration culminated on August 22nd when

    more than 420 students enrolled in the first 16 Z-courses. Cumulatively, these students reduced total

    expenditures by over $68,000.00.

    The goals of this initiative have been twofold: 1) to improve student success, and 2) to increase

    instructor effectiveness. Courses were stripped down to the Learning Outcomes and rebuilt using openly

    licensed content, reviewed and selected by the faculty developer based on its ability to facilitate student

    achievement of the objectives. As a result, these 21 courses are an amalgamation of over 200 distinct

    OER sources.

    Creating these 21 courses required a collaborative effort among every functional area of the college. The

    logistical challenges of launching 21 Z-courses simultaneously across four campus locations were daunting

    given that TCC is the 11th largest public two-year college in the nation, enrolling nearly 44,000 students

    annually. Senior administrators were adept at addressing the complexities, thus allowing the faculty team

    to focus on course creation. Once launched, considerable effort was expended to design a process by

    which the effectiveness of these courses could be evaluated.

    Instruments are in place to collect data to evaluate student experiences, persistence and success.

    Students receive a summative survey in the last week of each semester and the data are folded back into

    the project development process. At the conclusion of each semester, an analytics tool pulls data directly

    from the LMS (Learning Management System) on learning outcomes, content engagement and course

    design to assist faculty in the continuous course improvement process. Furthermore, students from across

    the Z-Degree have participated in a series of focus groups to collect qualitative data on their experience.

    Anecdotal evidence suggests that students in the Z-courses are adapting well to their lack of traditional

    course materials, which is supported by the fact that at mid-semester fall 2013, the Z-Degree has

    aggregate retention of 90.4%.

    On an institutional level, enrollment and student data are being collected and analyzed to identify those

    courses most appropriate for conversion to Z-course status. In January 2014, a second cohort of faculty

    was invited to attend training on licensing and open content adoption. A third party will conduct this

    training on-site; however, efforts are currently underway to create an in-house Z-course training program

    that can be implemented on a rolling schedule.

  • iiiZ-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    With obstacles overcome, analytics in place and students enrolled, the challenge is to scale the project in

    a way that makes sense from both a student and organizational standpoint. Moving forward, the project will

    address issues such as faculty support, delivery methodology via strategic LMS selection, the economic

    impact of long-term OER adoption, policy and resource implications, as well as integration with system-

    wide OER initiatives.

    In Spring 2015, 39 sections of Z-courses will be offered with a target enrollment of 900 students and

    $90,000 in cost savings. In the long term, the principal project goal will remain unchanged and that is

    that all students will have an equal opportunity to engage and succeed from the very first day of class.

  • NEEDS AND RATIONALE

  • 1Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    The cost of college textbooks has risen 812 percent since 1978, more than the rates of inflation, health care, new home prices, and college tuition. (Kingkade, 2013)

    More and more, college students are unable to afford their textbooks, and as many as 70 percent of

    students have reported avoiding buying at least one textbook for their courses. A recent survey at Old

    Dominion University in Norfolk revealed that nearly one in five ODU students are attending classes without

    the benefit of textbooks (The Virginian-Pilot, Dec. 30, 2013). Not surprisingly, these students do not do as

    well academically (Rethink).

    NEEDS AND RATIONALE

  • 2Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    While TCC has worked with its bookstore partner to minimize the financial burden of textbooks on students

    by introducing eTexts and rental options, the financial challenge for our students remains high. For

    example, 11,177 students bought textbooks in Fall 2013 through TCCs bookstore partner using financial

    aid resources. The charges totaled over $3.2 million, with the average charge being $290.25. As of May

    2013, if a TCC student purchased all of the textbooks required for a business administration degree,

    that student would spend $3,678.95 on new books. While used textbooks may lower this price, their

    availability is, at best, uneven.

    But the problem with printed textbooks goes beyond financial cost; textbooks cost students and teachers

    in other ways as well.

    Because textbooks are frequently written for broad audiences in the hopes that they will fill the learning

    support needs and be adopted by large numbers of faculty and departments, they are filled with content

    and exercises that are superfluous to a specific courses learning outcomes. At best, the faculty member

    who is focused on content directly supporting the courses outcomes must skip significant portions of

    the textbook. At worst, a faculty member may rely on the textbooks content, not the learning outcomes,

    to organize and teach a course. In either situation, faculty who want to individualize or update learning

    content must supplement. The cost here is in teaching efficiency and effectiveness.

    Fortunately a solution to both problems exists.

    In 2002, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sparked the Open Educational Resources movement

    (OER) with the OpenCoursewareProject, putting virtually all of MITs course content online. Shortly

    thereafter, the term Open Educational Resources was adopted by the United Nations Educational,

    Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 2002 Forum on the Impact of Open Courseware for

    Higher Education in Developing Countries. Since then, tens of thousands of Open Educational Resources

    have been developed across the U.S. and the world and shared by hundreds of colleges, universities, and

    organizations dedicated to making education accessible and attainable.

    Despite the success of OER, too few colleges or universities have pushed the envelope in determining the

    full potential of OER in teaching and learning. Individual faculty or departments may choose to replace

    their textbooks with OER (with an enormous collective savings for students); however, until TCCs Z-Degree,

    no college or university in the U.S. had gathered the diversity of OER resources and developed a faculty

    team that could produce an entirely textbook-free degree.

  • 3Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Beginning in Fall 2013, TCC became the first regionally accredited college in the U.S. to create an

    Associate of Science degree based solely on openly licensed content. The rationale was twofold:

    To improve student success through increased access and affordability;

    To improve teaching efficiency and effectiveness through the ability to focus, analyze, augment, and

    evolve course materials directly aligned to course learning outcomes.

    Allen, N. (2012). Pushing for Open Education Resources, Lower Textbook Costs. Virginia Community College System

    Chancellors Planning Retreat, August 2012, http://rethink.vccs.edu/planning-retreat-2012/

    Forum on the Impact of Open Courseware for Higher Education in Developing Countries,

    http://www.unesco.org

    Kingkade, T. (2013). College Textbook Prices Increasing Faster Than Tuition and Inflation. The Huffington Post, January 4, 2013.

    www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/college-textbook-prices-increase_n_2409153.html

    MIT OpenCourseWare, Free Online Course Materials, http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

    Rethink: Reengineering Virginias Community Colleges,

    http://rethink.vccs.edu/pushing-for-open-education-resources-lower-textbook-costs/

    Sizemore, Bill (2013). A textbook case of students not having enough money. The Virginian Pilot, December 30, 2013.

    http://hamptonroads.com/2013/12/textbook-case-students-not-having-enough-money

  • HISTORY

  • 4Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Linda Williams, TCC professor of business administration, agrees to serve as the faculty lead for the project; Dr. Kimberly Bovee, associate vice president for college readiness, agrees to serve as the lead for the Project Advisory Committee.

    SEPTEMBER

    MARCH

    JULY

    JANUARY

    AUGUST

    Dr. Daniel DeMarte, TCC vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer, attends the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Chancellors annual retreat and hears David Wiley, president of Lumen Learning, comment that no college or university was offering a degree exclusively using OER.

    The Project Advisory Committee (consisting of deans, student services representatives, technology support, and key stakeholders) is established to coordinate advising students, loading courses into TCCs student information system, and ensuring project success beyond the courses themselves.

    The fall schedule of Z-courses is coordinated across the colleges four campuses to allow a student to take a full schedule of Z-Degree courses. Course delivery includes online as well as on-campus courses.

    Registration begins for Fall 2014 Z-courses.

    TCC presents the Z-Degree pilot to the Jobs for the Future Educational Policy Summit in Miami.

    Data from TCCs Office of Institutional Effectiveness and information on available OER materials help guide the selection of the Associate of Science in business administration as the pilot Z-Degree, including required and elective courses.

    The faculty team is selected and includes full-time and adjunct professors.

    THE Z-COURSES LAUNCH.

    Lumen provides initial training session for the faculty team on accessing OER and building a cohesive course based on diverse OER offerings.

    Faculty convocation includes presentation by Professor Williams on Open Educational Resources and the Z-Degree pilot.

    TCC contacts David Wiley and Kim Thanos of Lumen Learning to help TCC launch the Z-Degree pilot. Lumens expertise includes identification of existing OER content, faculty training, ensuring proper attribution of content, and development of course analytics.

    UNTIL MAY 2013Faculty team members begin selecting appropriate OER to support the learning outcomes of each course. Professor Williams and Lumen Learning provide faculty support, including locating OER and helping faculty build the courses.

    AUGUST

    FEBRUARY

    Professor Williams makes presentations at all four TCC campuses to provide an overview of the pilot project to faculty.

    TCCs public announcement of the Z-Degree pilot (initially referred to as the OpenTCC project) receives widespread news coverage.

    APRIL

    JUNETCC presents Z-Degree pilot at Open Leadership Conference in Denver.

    All students who are seeking an A.S. degree in Business Administration are sent a letter briefly explaining the Z-Degree and announcing special information sessions at each campus. The letter is followed up by an email.

    Each campus hosts an information session for students. Information sessions include what students should be prepared for, what Open Education Recourses are and are not, faculty expectations for students taking Z-courses, and how to register for the Z-courses. Course outcome alignments loaded in Z-course templates.

    Cohorts of newly created Z-courses with OER content are reviewed by Lumen Learning to ensure proper attribution and correct licensing. This scrub process is the last step before the courses are ready to launch. Faculty team revises courses to optimize learning outcomes and use of OER.

    UNTIL JULY

    OCTOBER

    OCTOBER - NOVEMBER

    2012

    2013

    TIMELINEZERO TO Z IN 12 MONTHS

    The spark for the Z-Degree was ignited in August,

    2012 and moved from idea to implementation in a

    period of less than 12 months.

  • 5Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Measures of effectiveness and student success are highlighted when the Z-Degree is presented at the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges (NACTC) annual conference.

    The Z-Degree makes a national television debut when CBN-TV highlights the Z-Degree in a news segment titled Cost-Cutting College: Educations Future.

    Members of the faculty team attend the international Open Educational Conference in Park City, Utah. Z-Degree is selected to participate in closing keynote as one of 15 high impact OER projects of 2013.

    Analytics are pulled from the LMS to analyze strength of alignment between content and assessment, as well as student engagement with content and assessment performance. These analytics will be used for continuous course improvement.

    FEBRUARY

    Faculty meet to debrief and work on scheduling the Spring 2014 Z-courses. The spring schedule of the Z-courses is coordinated across the colleges four campuses to allow a student to take full schedule of Z-courses. Course delivery includes online as well as on-campus courses. Twenty-five sections of Z-courses are scheduled for Spring 2014.

    JANUARY

    OCTOBER

    NOVEMBER

    DECEMBER

    All students who attended the orientation sessions are surveyed, whether or not they decided to take a Z-course.

    Students begin registering for the Spring 2014 Z-courses; Within 48 hours of registration opening, Z-courses are at 50.5% of capacity without advertisement or promotion.

    As the fall semester comes to an end, all students in the Z-courses are surveyed for feedback on their experience with a 44.79% response rate.

    Z-Degree is selected as a Bellwether Finalist in the programs category.

    MARCH

    The second semester of the Z-Degree begins on the front page of The Virginian-Pilot with an article headlined: College seeks relief for students as textbook costs stack up.

    600 students enroll in 25 sections of Z-courses for Spring 2014.

    84.9% of available seats in Z-courses are filled, compared to 65.9% for textbook-based counterparts.

    The Z-Degree and OER are presented on the college-wide Professional Development Day to a capacity audience, increasing awareness and adoption.

    TCC participates in a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill, organized by SPARC in support of Open Education Week.

    Early Z-course data from Spring 2014 show that 63.2% of the Z-courses retained 100% of their students through the drop/tuition refund date.

    Z-Degree is presented to the Board of Directors for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

    Z-Degree is presented to the State Board of Community Colleges Executive Board.

    2014

    2013

  • 6Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Z-Degree wins VCCS Excellence in Education Award, presented at New Horizons Conference in Roanoke, Va.

    Spring 2014 semester concludes with 93% of students reporting that they believed the Z-courses they completed were as good or better than the same course that used a traditional textbook.

    Z-Degree presented at national Teachers of Accounting at Community and Two-Year Colleges conference (TACTYC).

    Two sections of Pathways: Adopting OER in the Classroom are offered with more than 24 faculty and librarians participating.

    TCC student Sandra Kerley is featured in an article in TIME magazine, in which she speaks about the impact of the Z-Degree on her familys finances.

    Z-Degree is presented at EDUCAUSE Annual Conference in a session titled, The Z-Degree: Taming the BYOD beast while enhancing the student experience.

    OER and the Z-Degree are featured at TCCs Professional Development Day held at the Joint-Use Library on the Virginia Beach Campus

    Members of the TCC Z-Degree team participate in a collaborative national webinar to highlight the path to a zero-cost textbook degree.

    Z-Degree included in CNN news article on relieving students of the burden of textbook costs.

    APRIL

    MAY

    JUNE

    JULY

    AUGUST

    SEPTEMBER

    OCTOBER

    TCC faculty at the VCCS New Horizons Conference present multiple sessions focusing on the Z-Degree and OER.

    Z-Degree is presented at TCC Annual Learning Institute.

    Presentations on OER policy, economic feasibility and the role of librarians are the highlights of TCCs Z-Degree participation in the Open Educational Leadership Summit held in Portland, Ore.

    TCC revises and implements Policy 2108: The Use of Open Educational Resources.

    Third semester of the Z-Degree begins with 27 sections of Z-courses, enrolling more than 600 students producing an estimated student cost savings to date of $175,000.

    With Good Reason, a nationally broadcast radio program produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, features the Z-Degree in a segment titled, Summer Melt and the Z-Degree.

    TCC hosts the OpenVA conference, bringing faculty, administrators and policy makers from both community colleges and senior colleges and universities together to move OER efforts in Virginia forward.

    TCC representatives are invited to the White House to collaborate with the Office of Science and Technology Programs (OSTP) on the inclusion of OER in the next iteration of the Executive Offices Open Government Plan.

    Pathways: Adopting OER in the Classroom, created thanks to a competitive Chancellors Innovation Grant, is launched and filled to capacity with faculty and staff eager to participate in TCCs OER initiatives.

    2014

  • 7Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    The Z-Degree is featured in Zac Bissonettes article, Reducing college costs could mean end of textbooks, on CNBC.com.

    Students begin the fourth semester of the Z-Degree pilot with 39 sections of Z-courses, making total Z-Degree enrollment in the pilot phase more than 2,500 students (more than $250,000 in student savings).

    NOVEMBER

    JANUARY

    DECEMBER

    Z-Degree is presented in several sessions at the International Open Education Conference held in Arlington, Va.

    Host Kara Miller features the Z-Degree on her program Innovation Hub to be broadcast on WGBH, Boston and Public Radio International.

    Presentation submissions related to the Z-Degree and OER are made for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), The League for Innovation in the Community College, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Annual New Horizons and discipline-specific VCCS conferences.

    At American Universitys Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., Z-Degree program successes are shared with attendees at OpenCon, hosted by SPARC and the Right to Research Coalition.

    2014

    2015

  • Z-DEGREE MODEL

  • 8Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    From the projects inception, TCC has made a conscious effort to create a replicable model for building

    a Z-Degree. This model provides TCC the ability to repeat the success of the pilot, expand offerings

    within the Z-Degree itself, and ultimately share the model for a Z-Degree with like-minded colleges

    and universities.

    Replication of this initial effort requires several key components:

    Organizational commitment to the creation and sustainability of a Z-Degree is essential to establish

    an environment that embraces openness, creativity, and innovation. Although faculty-led, the move to

    OER must be driven and supported by administrators who can affect policy and secure the resources

    necessary to support a Z-Degree. (See Appendix for TCCs policy on Open Educational Resources.)

    A core group of faculty who are eager to rise to the challenge of stripping a course down to articulated

    learning outcomes and rebuilding it using judiciously selected OER need to be identified in each

    discipline. These faculty champions serve as a nucleus, fostering awareness and acceptance of OER

    among their colleagues.

    THE Z-DEGREE MODELThe six components of TCCs Z-Degree

  • 9Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Although faculty are subject matter experts, their understanding of the components of OER in areas

    of licensing, attribution, and content curation is imperfect. Professional development opportunities

    for faculty should be identified, created, and encouraged. Through focused training and exposure

    to the broader OER community, faculty experts will be cultivated within the institution to provide

    project leadership.

    Research has confirmed that the expertise of librarians in most of the general LIS technologies and

    skills is needed at OER initiatives (Bueno-de-la-Fuente, Robertson, & Boon, 2012). Librarians with

    expertise in OER play a vital role in ongoing success of a Z-Degree by providing hands-on support

    for faculty.

    An institution-wide support network of stakeholders is essential to provide support to the student

    embarking upon a Z-Degree. This network also serves as a communication channel among functional

    areas such as student services, academics, and institutional effectiveness to ensure that the integrity

    of the Z-Degree and component courses is maintained.

    Continuous course improvement is inherent in the Z-Degree model. When faculty make changes

    to their courses, they are often based on intuitions, hunches, or student complaints. Consequently,

    no empirical quality improvement feedback loop is ever established, and there is no apparent

    improvement in the quality of higher education over time (Arum & Roksa, 2010). Based upon

    a teach-analyze-improve cycle based on student assessment results aligned to course learning

    objectives, courses are revised and OER content is augmented or replaced.

    These core components create the framework for the creation of a Z-Degree. Best practices reside within

    each element to enable the components of the project to merge, creating a set of like-minded constituents

    working towards a common goal. The result is a pathway to the creation of individual Z-courses or an

    entire Z-Degree.

  • 10Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Pathways to OER is a 6-module online professional development course designed to provide faculty with

    the requisite knowledge to effectively adopt and adapt open-licensed educational resources (OER) for use

    in the classroom. TCC received a Chancellors Innovation Fund grant to develop the course because there

    was no vehicle by which faculty could learn about adoption, licensing and deployment of OER content.

    While initially developed by TCC, the Pathway course will facilitate the adoption of OER at every level

    throughout the VCCS. The course is licensed under a CC-BY License, allowing the course to reflect the

    changing dynamics within the broader OER community. Further course development includes having the

    course certified by Quality Matters.

    The course is inherently scalable and sustainable since it has been migrated to an open-course framework.

    The potential offered audience for this course is now anyone wanting to gain knowledge about the

    foundations of OER creation, adoption and adaptation.

    The course is scaffolded in a way that takes the learner from investigating the reasons why Open matters

    to copyright law and then proceeds through the process of adopting, remixing and creating openly licensed

    content aligned to their course learning outcomes. At the conclusion of the course, participants have at

    least one piece of openly licensed content that is aligned to a learning outcome and ready to be deployed

    in the classroom.

  • 11Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    PATHWAYS: ADOPTING OER IN THE CLASSROOM (EDUC7010) MODULES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:

    Module 1: Why Open?

    Explain reasons why openness in education matters

    Define Open Educational Resources (OER)

    Describe the 5Rs of OER

    Module 2: Introduction to Open Licensing

    Contrast an authors rights under Full Copyright, Creative Commons and Public Domain licensing

    Distinguish among the parts of a CC license and what they mean

    Assess the compatibility of CC licenses

    Module 3: Investigating OER on the Web

    Locate content that is properly licensed which could be used to augment existing course content

    Identify the license of content found through web searches

    Properly attribute OER content that is being adopted

    Module 4: Open Textbooks/Open Courses

    Investigate Open Textbook resources available for adoption

    Investigate Open Courses published in the Creative Commons that can be adapted or adopted

    Assess the OER content available in a subject area or discipline

    Module 5: Remix OER

    Analyze and select OER content that aligns to a unit level learning outcome

    Modify OER content to improve alignment with a unit level learning outcome

    Place proper licensing and attribution on adopted and adapted (remixed) content

    Module 6: Create and Share

    Create original course content, aligned to a unit level learning objective

    Evaluate and select the appropriate CC license for the course content

    Identify ways to Publish the content to the Creative Commons

  • 12Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    CONTINUOUS COURSE IMPROVEMENT

    There has been little progress made in the field of education on creating a sustainable and practical

    process for continuous course improvement. Changes to courses and course content have traditionally

    been made at the end of each semester based on anecdotal evidence, student surveys and hunches

    but not on analytics. The Z-Degree changed that approach by taking advantage of powerful analytics within

    the LMS that became available to evaluate the effectiveness of course content in helping students meet

    specific learning outcomes. It was decided early on that the Z-courses would go through a continuous

    course improvement process based on evidence beyond anecdotal and student evaluation feedback.

    (See Appendix for a sample of Continuous Improvement Report.)

    To this end two tools were employed: (1) an alignments function within the LMS and (2) an analytics

    report created from data pulled directly from the course. These two evaluation tools would then be used

    to provide empirical data to the faculty upon which course improvements could be made. The alignment

    tool within the LMS allows the Learning Outcome to be linked to both content areas and assessments.

    When reports are generated from within the LMS, immediate feedback on individual items is generated.

    Assessments are then flagged for review based on student mastery of the aligned outcome. This tool has

    provided important and timely feedback throughout the semester, allowing faculty to make changes and

    corrections in the course as students work through the course material.

    For long-term continuous course improvement, TCC engaged Lumen Learning to collect data from the

    Z-courses and integrate recommendations for possible improvements to each course in a Continuous

    Improvement Report. An example of one such report for BUS100 (Introduction to Business) from the

    Spring 2013 is included in Appendix B. These reports allow faculty to focus on those areas of the course

    that can most benefit from re-design based on student achievement and performance. This is an iterative

    process and courses are evaluated at the conclusion of each semester. This continuous improvement

    is made possible through the use of OER because faculty are no longer bound to textbook and course

    material that remain static until the end of the current adoption or edition. Being able to freely move

    about the Commons and locate relevant, high quality content to either augment or replace existing content

    facilitates the continuous improvement process. These courses are now constantly being enhanced and

    enriched by a world of openly licensed content beyond even the faculty teams wildest imagination.

    Open content creates an open-minded approach to course design and ultimately opens doors to

    information and resources for the students that enhance and enrich their experience.

  • 13Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    SUMMARY

    When evaluating the pilot semesters of the Z-Degree, the data suggest that the original measure of

    effectiveness was achieved when the idea of a degree with $0 in textbook costs was translated into an

    institutionally-driven, faculty-led project. The true measures of accomplishment have shifted to student

    success and increased instructor effectiveness.

    In total, the data reflects that 95% of students would enroll in a Z-course again, and 98% believe the

    Z-course is as good or better than a course that uses a traditional published text. When almost 99% of

    students believe that course learning objectives have been met and 95% would be likely to recommend a

    Z-course to another student we are comfortable in concluding that even in its first semester, in pilot mode,

    the Z-Degree is an effective alternative to its counterparts that require the purchase of traditional

    publisher textbooks.

  • MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS

  • 14Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    When the Z-Degree was first conceived, the goal was to eliminate the following student experience:

    My first day of school is tomorrow and I have not received my English books yet! I did not have

    the $160.00 on Thursday last week, the day of the registration, to buy my books brand new,

    so I ordered used ones on-line. Well, classes start tomorrow and the books have not shipped

    yet. Hopefully they ship tomorrow Monday. I just dont want to feel like a fool in class with

    no books. What can I tell the teacher? 1

    This goal was met on the first day of the Fall 2013 semester when the pilot was launched. However, during

    the months leading up to the launch it became increasingly evident that breaking a course down to the

    skeleton of learning outcomes presented a unique opportunity to collect empirical data about student

    retention, achievement of learning outcomes and overall course quality. Measuring the effectiveness of the

    Z-Degree by dollars and cents alone was deemed insufficient to declare the pilot a success. The needle was

    moved and effectiveness was re-defined to include student retention, achievement of learning outcomes

    and identification of opportunities for continuous course improvement. Instead of using anecdotal evidence

    and traditional end-of-course evaluations to measure effectiveness, TCC designed a process for collecting

    data in a statistically valid and practically significant method.

    The hypothesis on which all research was founded was straightforward: Could the curriculum be built and

    delivered in a pilot mode and de minimis produce the same results as non-OER based courses currently

    being offered? Evidence leads the team to conclude that in the first pilot semester, the Z-courses achieved

    their stated learning outcomes in a manner consistent with other sections of the course while providing

    students relief from the extraordinary burden of textbook costs.

    Information is provided in four distinct areas:

    1. Student Retention

    2. Student Success

    3. Student Experience and Course Evaluation

    4. Continuous Course Improvement

    1. Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/education/1060008-classes-start-tomorrow-i-have-no.html#ixzz2qf402F1j

    MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS

  • 15Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    STUDENT RETENTION2 In analyzing student retention two milestones were used: (1) the point in the semester where a student can

    drop a course for a tuition refund and (2) the withdrawal date at which point a student may withdraw from

    a course without academic penalty and receive a grade of W.3

    2. Two courses (ITP132 and ACC211) were omitted from this data. There was no corresponding non Z-course section of ITP132

    available for comparison. ACC211 is the subject of a VCCS re-alignment and the SLOs are in pilot making the data from this

    course fall outside the fences delineating outliers based on presumed normal distribution.

    3. It must be noted that because of changes in Federal Financial Aid guidelines some students may forfeit future financial aid

    assistance if they receive a W therefore this data may be skewed towards higher retention rates in non Z-courses due to

    sample size variance.

    95.6%

    95.8%

    96.0%

    96.2%

    96.4%

    96.6%

    96.8%

    97.0%

    97.2%

    97.4%

    97.6%

    Fall 2013 Spring 2014

    Reten:on at Drop Date

    All Sec:ons Z-courses

    0.0%

    1.0%

    2.0%

    3.0%

    4.0%

    5.0%

    6.0%

    7.0%

    All Sec1ons Z-courses

    Student Withdrawal

  • 16Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    STUDENT SUCCESSThe measurement of student success used was that students complete the course with a grade of C or

    better since this is the minimum grade required for transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

    STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND COURSE EVALUATION The student perspective on their experience in a Z-course is critical to the continued success and

    expansion of the pilot. If students do not perceive that these courses are of high quality as compared to

    traditional textbook-based courses, then the future of the program is limited. A voluntary response survey

    was administered by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in the final week of the Fall 2013 semester.

    This survey was transmitted to the students via their student email account with a cover email from the

    Vice President for Academic Affairs. This process was designed to differentiate this survey instrument from

    regular end of course evaluations and increase awareness that student opinion was being solicited as a

    participant in the Z-Degree pilot. We believe that the survey was unbiased in its questions and is a valid

    survey of a finite population (N = 316) with a response rate of 43.98% (n = 139).

    64.5%

    65.0%

    65.5%

    66.0%

    66.5%

    67.0%

    67.5%

    68.0%

    68.5%

    69.0%

    69.5%

    70.0%

    70.5%

    71.0%

    71.5%

    72.0%

    Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Fall 2014

    Student Success

    All Sec>ons Z-courses

  • 17Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Respondent Demographics

    Respondent Self-reported Cumulative GPA

  • 18Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Students were asked to consider the Z-course they had just completed compared to courses that used

    traditional publisher textbooks and materials. The following are highlights of the survey responses and

    student comments.

    QUESTION: IMAGINE A FUTURE COURSE THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE. IF TWO DIFFERENT

    SECTIONS OF THE COURSE ARE OFFERED BY THE SAME INSTRUCTOR IN EQUALLY DESIRABLE TIME

    SLOTS AND LOCATIONS, BUT ONE SECTION USES A TRADITIONAL TEXTBOOK YOU ARE REQUIRED

    TO PURCHASE AND THE OTHER USES OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER), IN WHICH SECTION

    WOULD YOU PREFER TO ENROLL?

    QUESTION: HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE OER CONTENT USED IN

    THIS COURSE?

    ANSWER RESPONSE %

    WORSE than the quality of the text-

    books used in my other classes

    5 4%

    ABOUT THE SAME as the quality of the

    textbooks used in my other classes

    44 32%

    BETTER than the quality of the text-

    books used in my other classes

    86 64%

    TOTAL 135 100%

    ANSWER RESPONSE %

    I would enroll in the section that uses a

    TRADITIONAL PUBLISHED BOOK

    7 5%

    I would enroll in the section that uses

    OER (Z-course)

    115 85%

    I would have no preference 13 10%

    TOTAL 135 100%

  • 19Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    QUESTION: HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE COURSE?

    STUDENT COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF FINDINGS:

    The quality of the class is the same as a traditional class with the exception of being able to

    use different resources to get information. Watching YouTube videos on a subject is easier then

    reading 40+ pages on a subject.

    The quality of the course is enhanced by the open source materials. When you leave a

    traditional class with the textbook, you have the knowledge you retain from the course. With

    the use of open source materials, you are also shown videos and other resources that become

    searchable topics on the internet to refresh information for a class taken later.

    I really love the fact that you arent put on this set schedule, the by the book schedule of

    learning. Instead the teaching feels broader. My professor can introduce us to new resources

    and a wide selection of information, not just whats contained in a book. I would love to take

    more classes like this.

    ANSWER RESPONSE %

    WORSE than the quality of my other

    classes

    3 2%

    ABOUT THE SAME as the quality of my

    other classes

    54 40%

    BETTER than the quality than the

    quality of my other classes

    78 58%

    TOTAL 135 100%

  • 20Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    QUESTION: HOW EFFECTIVE WAS THIS COURSE IN MEETING THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES AS

    OUTLINED IN THE COURSE SYLLABUS?

    STUDENT COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF FINDINGS:

    The Learning Objectives were easy to follow and the open source materials directly

    related to the topics.

    It met all objectives.

    Covered every single Module effectively.

    Each week the content on the syllabus was addressed and each week there was a lot of

    information regarding the topic.

    It was a very effective learning environment.

    I learned more in this class without a textbook than I did in my Economics class

    with a textbook.

    ANSWER RESPONSE %

    Not Effective at all 1 1%

    Somewhat effective 9 14%

    Very effective 115 85%

    TOTAL 135 100%

  • 21Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    QUESTION: COMPARED TO A COURSE YOU HAVE TAKEN THAT REQUIRED THE PURCHASE OF A

    TRADITIONAL PUBLISHED TEXTBOOK, HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF

    THIS COURSE?

    STUDENT COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF FINDINGS:

    The use of an open source material did not change the quality of the instruction. With the course

    I took being one of the first courses at the college, the innovation and enhancements of open

    source development are greatly applicable to many other classes. The potential is limitless.

    The classes with traditional published textbooks I study and memorize to pass tests. In this

    class I have a greater appreciation for the things I learned because I actually experienced the

    material and lesson as opposed to simply passing a test. This knowledge will last a lifetime.

    ANSWER RESPONSE %

    Poor 1 1%

    Fair 3 2%

    Average 12 9%

    Good 38 28%

    Excellent 81 60%

    TOTAL 135 100%

  • 22Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    QUESTION: HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO RECOMMEND A Z-COURSE TO ANOTHER STUDENT?

    STUDENT COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF FINDINGS:

    My instructor for the Z-course class I took had the textbook that would have been required for

    the class. She showed some of the sections in the book that pertained to the current topic

    discussed, only to reveal that she could explain 5 or so pages in just a few sentences. For

    students like me that dont always have enough money in the bank to pay for such expensive

    texts, which may not even be used for half of a semester, Z-courses are a godsend.

    Having everything and more available to me in an instant was very convenient. I also found it

    wonderful to only need to bring my tablet with me to class, in this day and age that is how it

    should be. The flow of the open resource was amazing. This saved a lot of money and time.

    ANSWER RESPONSE %

    Very Unlikely 3 2%

    Somewhat Unlikely 2 1%

    Somewhat Likely 22 17%

    Very Likely 108 80%

    TOTAL 135 100%

  • 23Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    QUESTION: PLEASE USE THE SPACE PROVIDED BELOW TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS OR

    SUGGESTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE Z-COURSE AND THE OPENTCC4 PILOT

    PROGRAM.

    During my academic experience thus far, textbooks are a waste of money for most classes.

    There is just too much material that is not needed, I think the Z-course approach is much

    better because we were being administered only the relevant materials for that course. I

    wasnt wasting time trying to decipher which material I needed to study for each exam. It also

    provided different learning styles. I was able to read, watch videos, and listen to the professor

    on blackboard to learn my course materials. I think that textbooks should be done away with.

    A professor that teaches solely out of the textbook is a bad professor in my opinion, because

    anyone can stay home and read out of the textbook.

    I would love for this program to take off and have more courses offered under the OpenTCC

    Program. Being a full time employee and a full time student, not having to lug books around

    to do assignments has been awesome. Being able to open up Blackboard and have all my

    readings listed was wonderful. I didnt have to flip through a 500 page textbook to find an

    answer, just open up the link in a new tab and the section was already there. I hope that this

    program is able to be extended so more classes are offered a semester. I look forward to doing

    my second semester through OpenTCC in January!

    The Z-course is a great class and even better because I do not have to come out of pocket to

    purchase a textbook. This saves me money and also I get the same quality of education as I

    would in a traditional class setting.

    I like the fact that only the materials that you need were presented to you instead of an entire

    chapter which allows you to concentrate on what is important.

    4. OpenTCC was the working title for the Z-Degree.

  • PUBLIC AWARENESS AND MEDIA

  • 24Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    TCC plans to offer degree, textbooks not required Published March 15, 2013

    BY ELISABETH HULETTE

    Soon Tidewater Community College students will be able to earn a whole degree without buying

    any textbooks.

    The initiative is the first of its kind for an accredited American institution, college officials and industry

    leaders announced Thursday. Schools and colleges are increasingly using free materials online, they

    said, but this degree - an associate degree in business administration - will be the first to rely on them

    completely.

    The point is to save students money, said Daniel DeMarte, vice president for academic affairs and chief

    academic officer at the college. Textbook prices are soaring, he said, and the college has tried to curb

    student expenditures by using electronic texts and secondhand books. Now, with the proliferation of online

    education resources - OERs to educators - it may be possible to eliminate the cost altogether.

    If its possible, why arent we looking at it? DeMarte asked. If the quality is as good or better, then why

    not? Were seeking to answer that question.

    The program will be a pilot. If it goes well next year, and quality is not sacrificed, more courses may be

    offered without textbooks, DeMarte said.

    It wont be mandatory. Business administration is one of TCCs most popular degree programs, so multiple

    sections are offered for each of the 21 required courses. Students can decide whether to take one with

    traditional books, or one that uses free materials.

    If they pick the latter, they could cut their education expenses by a third. According to TCC, the Bureau

    of Labor Statistics has reported the cost of textbooks increased 812 percent since 1978, and textbooks

    now average $175 each. By taking textbook-free courses, TCC estimates students could save $2,000 to

    $2,500 - about a third of the cost of their degree.

    Open-source materials have been around for a decade, pretty much since computers and Web access

    became widely affordable.

    Many are developed by organizations funded by grants. For example, OpenStax College is funded in part by

    the Hewlett and Gates foundations. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has put courses online for

    free, and NASA has free online materials, too, DeMarte said.

  • 25Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Many are peer-reviewed, like textbooks. The best ones develop reputations among teachers and professors

    who know good material when they see it, said David Wiley, co-founder of Lumen Learning, an organization

    based in Portland, Ore., thats helping TCC.

    Wiley met DeMarte about eight months ago at a panel discussion, and the two discussed making TCC the

    first college to offer a whole degree using just OERs.

    Higher education can be slow to change, Wiley said, and many colleges and professors have been hesitant

    to use open-source material. Its hard to find leaders in that world, he said, but once TCC shows it can be

    done, other schools likely will make the leap.

    To see somebody step up and grasp it and say, Its possible, and because all these good things are

    possible, we think it needs to be done, and were going to do it - its good on so many levels, Wiley said.

    Cable Green, director of global learning with Creative Commons, a nonprofit that offers free licensing

    for open-source resources, said a key to the open-materials movement is not only making them free, but

    allowing educators to manipulate them.

    The licenses usually allow professors to pull apart online texts, lecture notes, videos and other materials,

    and curate them into a set that works best for their class. Then those professors can make their versions

    available to others.

    Andi Sporkin, vice president of communications for the Association of American Publishers, said the

    industry is changing, and publishers understand that open-source materials are part of it. Some now offer

    basic textbooks online for free, but charge students for supplemental materials like study guides and flash

    cards. There are also some disturbing trends, she said, like free materials that come with advertisements

    and track students personal information.

    Traditional textbooks, she said, are a smaller part of the market.

    Its not black and white, Sporkin said. Publishers are not opposed to open source.... But it does come

    down to quality content thats well-researched, thats well-written, that serves the student.

    About 25 students will be chosen for TCCs pilot program next year. All will go through an orientation to

    learn about OERs, according to a news release from TCC.

    DeMarte said Lumen Learning and the 13 faculty members involved with this project will be critical to

    figuring out whether to expand it. They will determine whether the content is on par or better than what

    the professors are using now.

    Its a house of cards if those two pieces are not there, he said. We will not compromise quality, period.

    Source: http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/tcc-plans-offer-degree-textbooks-not-required

  • 26Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Community college to offer textbook-free degreePublished March 18, 2013

    BY KARIN KAPSIDELIS

    In what is seen as the next major innovation

    in cutting college costs, Virginias Tidewater

    Community College will offer a textbook-free

    degree program in the fall that could reduce

    the price of earning an associate degree by

    about a third.

    TCC says its associate of science degree in

    business administration will be the first in the

    nation by an accredited institution to entirely

    use open-source educational materials.

    I think we have a responsibility as a college to do what we can to help control the costs of textbooks,

    because we know there are students who cant afford them, said Daniel T. DeMarte, TCC vice president

    for academic affairs and chief academic officer. We know there are students who are not successful

    because they cant afford them.

    The two-year pilot program is being developed through a partnership with Lumen Learning, an Oregon

    company that helps schools integrate open educational resources, known as OERs, into curricula.

    David Wiley, one of Lumens founders, spoke last August at the Virginia Community College System retreat.

    During a panel discussion, Wiley said it would be possible to offer an entire OER degree program but

    that no one had done it yet, DeMarte recalled. Afterward, I asked him if hed be willing to work with

    Tidewater to make that happen.

    The college estimates a student who completes the degree will have saved about $2,000, although actual

    savings will be calculated when the pilot program is evaluated.

    The business program ranks second in demand among the colleges offerings, with more than 350 students

    earning the degree annually.

    For the 2013-14 academic year, the college will offer one OER section for each of 21 courses.

  • 27Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Students taking the OER courses will receive additional advising to make sure they understand the

    concept, said Kimberly Bovee, associate vice president for strategic learning initiatives.

    For example, when a student hears its a textbook-free course, that doesnt mean they dont have to read,

    she said. That doesnt mean they dont have to engage in the course material and maybe read even more

    that theyre used to.

    Lumen views open educational resourcesthose that are in the public domain or have been released from

    copyrightas an untapped resource for repurposing to reduce college costs.

    But interest is growing amid studies that show textbook costs have increased by more than 800 percent

    since 1978.

    Virginia State University, which embraced the concept several years ago, offers all of its core curriculum

    courses in the business school on open digital textbooks.

    The states community college system is seeking to expand OER courses, but as yet no other college is

    offering a textbook-free degree. However, grants are being offered to instructors to develop OER classes,

    especially for high-enrollment courses that can be shared across the system.

    VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois said these open resources are increasingly being used to take the place of

    ridiculously expensive textbooks that students are only going to use for 15 weeks and never use again.

    He said some textbooks can cost more than the tuition for a community college course.

    I think its one of the biggest rip-offs in this business, DuBois said. I say that not as a chancellor; I say

    it as a father who just had to give his daughter 600 bucks to buy this semesters textbooks at a

    public university.

    With open digital materials, students can save $150 or so per course, and if they want to print it and

    keep it, it might cost them 15 or 20 bucks, he said.

    [email protected]

    (804) 649-6119

    Source: http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/community-college-to-offer-textbook-free-

    degree/article_d45bcffc-bea5-5049-acd3-b025170041f2.html

  • 28Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Virginia Community College to Pilot Free Textbook ProgramPublished March 18, 2013

    BY CATHERINE GROUX

    As the cost of textbooks continues to rise, Virginias Tidewater

    Community College recently announced the launch of a pilot

    program in which some students can earn an associates degree in

    business administration without purchasing books, The Associated

    Press reports. While some colleges have strived to offer students free

    online textbooks when possible, college officials said this is the first

    time an accredited, American institution has tried to create a degree

    program that exclusively relies on free, or open-source texts.

    Tidewater plans to complete the pilot in one year and then analyze

    whether it affected the quality of its courses. However, students

    who attend the community college next year will not be required to participate in the program. The school

    currently offers multiple sections for each of its 21 required business administration courses, so students

    can select whether they want to enroll in one that uses traditional books or one that only relies on

    free texts.

    Daniel DeMarte, vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer at Tidewater, told The

    Virginian-Pilot that the main reason for launching the pilot is to reduce the cost of earning an associates

    degree. Today, students spend about $655 on required course materials each year, according to a July

    2012 study conducted by OnCampus Research.

    Source: http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/virginia-community-college-to-pilot-free-

    textbook_13019.aspx#.VNN_Ap3xrck

    A Virginia community college will create a pilot

    that relies solely on free textbooks.

  • 29Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Textbook-free project could cut degree costs by a thirdPublished March 25, 2013

    BY TIMES STAFF

    A Virginia community college may be the first college in the country to offer a degree in which students

    wont have to use textbooks.

    Tidewater Community College (TCC) will launch its textbook-free degree this fall aimed in part to ease

    the sting of soaring textbook costs for students, which is increasingly becoming a financial challenge.

    Textbooks have increased more than 800 percent since 1978, with the average book today priced at $175.

    Business administration students participating in the pilot program will use high-quality open textbooks

    and other open educational resources (OER), which are freely accessible, openly licensed materials that

    include text, videos, presentations and other formats. All students will need is access to a browser.

    Eliminating textbooks could result in students saving $2,000-$2,500 over the course of the degree,

    college officials estimate.

    TCC is partnering in the effort with Lumen Learning, a Portland, Ore.-based company that helps

    educational institutions integrate OER into their curricula.

    For TCC President Edna Baehre-Kolovani, the initiative is about making higher education more accessible

    and affordable by reducing the costs of required books.

    We have worked with our bookstore partner, Barnes and Noble, to offer students options, she said.

    Textbooks can be purchased new or used and many are available as rentals or e-text. This initiative offers

    yet another option: to skip traditional textbooks entirely.

    STARTING THIS FALL

    TCCs textbook-free pilot project will begin with the 2013-14 academic year, according to Daniel DeMarte,

    the colleges vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer. Aside from increased access

    and affordability, TCC hopes the project will lead to more faculty engaging in learning about and refining

    the use of OER and greater faculty and student understanding of learning outcomes.

    TCC will offer one section each of 21 courses for which students will not be required to buy textbooks.

    Thirteen faculty members will teach the sections.

    The business administration degree produces more than 350 graduates annually, the second highest

    among the colleges offerings, and the department has an innovative faculty member who is familiar with

    OER and willing to lead the initiative, DeMarte said.

  • 30Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    The courses will be delivered both on campus and online. TCC contracted with Lumen to help identify the

    best OER, support the faculty building the courses and ensure copyright compliance.

    AN IDEA FROM A RETREAT

    DeMarte said he was inspired to pursue the initiative after hearing Lumen Learning founder David Wiley

    speak about OER at the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Chancellors annual retreat last August.

    He approached Wiley after the panel and soon the two organizations began forming a plan.

    TCC started its initial training with faculty in January, with Lumen leading the training, said Kimberly

    Bovee, associate vice president for strategic learning initiatives at TCC. The company is currently working

    with the college to develop the OER courses. Lumen is also looking into copyrights on selected material.

    TCC officials stressed that the quality of the OER courses will be as good or better than the textbook

    courses.

    We will be deliberate and strategic with this effort remaining focused on student success and high-quality

    education, DeMarte said, noting that OER is peer-reviewed to ensure academic rigor.

    FACULTY SUPPORT

    Faculty members have expressed a general openness to the idea of OER, said DeMarte, who noted that

    faculty support is crucial.

    If you dont have a faculty who is going to champion it, its just not going to work, he said.

    Another key component of the project is support services for students taking OER classes, Bovee said.

    That includes technical support as well as advising students and making sure they understand what the

    courses entail.

    One of the challenges will be to manage expectations of students, DeMarte said.

    It doesnt mean that reading isnt required, he said.

    The state system is encouraging other two-year colleges to test OER. It has formed a group to develop

    recommendations for reducing textbook costs across the system. VCCS will soon announce colleges

    that will each receive $3,000 to identify, review and customize high-quality OER to make them the only

    required course material.

    VCCS has also joined other public colleges and universities in the state to hold an inaugural Open & Digital

    Learning Resources Conference to build awareness of innovative OER initiatives.

    Source: http://www.ccdaily.com/Pages/Technology/Textbook-free-project-could-save-students-a-third-in-

    degree-costs.aspx

  • 31Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    For some, buy the book is gone Posted May 24, 2013

    BY JARED COUNCIL

    Tidewater Community College is getting closer to becoming the first post-secondary school in the U.S. to

    offer a textbook-free degree, adopting an alternative resource that experts say may shake up the textbook

    publishing industry in yet another way and redistribute power among stakeholders - though much remains

    to be seen.

    TCCs pilot program, to commence this fall, is based on free, Internet-based open educational resources,

    also known as OERs.

    The pilot is only for business administration majors and will allow students to forgo buying books for

    those classes.

    A student pursuing an associates degree in business administration on an OER path could save as much

    as $3,678, said Daniel DeMarte, TCCs vice president for academic affairs, adding that thats a savings of

    about 25 to 30 percent.

    Thats a big deal, he said.

    The initiative is called Open TCC, and the school has contracted with Portland, Ore.-based Lumen Learning

    to help implement it.

    Business administration students wont be required to go the OER route, school officials said.

    DeMarte got the idea from Lumen founder David Wiley at a chancellors planning retreat in August. School

    officials then ran the concept by faculty members, who in turn embraced it.

    If we dont have faculty who think its possible and were willing to take a look at it, DeMarte said, I

    wasnt willing to take it any further.

    Since then, faculty members have been vetting and selecting content, while school officials have worked

    on logistical items such as process and assessment models.

    Lumen has been training faculty and scrubbing selected content to ensure usage is legally compliant,

    TCC officials said.

    The crowd that goes to community colleges, theyre probably the first generation in their family to go to

    college, said Wiley, who is in discussions with two other community colleges. They need more help than

    anybody, so thats why we work primarily with community colleges.

  • 32Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Barnes & Noble College Booksellers Inc., TCCs official bookstore partner, did not respond to requests

    for comments.

    DeMarte said officials there are aware of TCCs move, and he suspects theyre trying to fully assess what it

    will mean for their business model.

    The school has 150 academic and training programs, most of which are textbook-based.

    DeMarte wouldnt disclose how much TCC will pay for the Lumens services.

    But the funds used, he said, arent tied to any price increases for students.

    Charles Schmidt, spokesman for the National Association of College Stores, said textbooks make up the

    biggest chunk of college store revenue.

    He said in 2011, the latest year of data, textbook sales accounted for $5.8 billion of the $10.2 billion

    industry.

    Open educational resources may change that, but Schmidt said stores shouldnt be the only ones

    concerned.

    Profit goes back [to the school] to help the students in the form of scholarships, help cover lab fees,

    Schmidt said. Say the college goes to an OER on the intro- to-math book. All right, well, how many

    thousands of dollars did that bring in last year? Youre not going to have that this year.

    Matt Reed, vice president of academic affairs at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts, said his

    school is exploring utilizing OERs.

    He acknowledged that declining college store sales means less school revenue.

    But if that happens, he said, so be it.

    If OER pays off the way I think it will in the sense of improving student success rates, then whatever

    bookstore revenue we lose well more than make up in increased tuition revenue from students not flunking

    out, Reed said. Id much rather go that route as opposed to milk them for all theyre worth, then they

    bail. I dont like that model at all.

    The most recent NACS survey, from 2008, estimated that about 77.4 cents of every dollar from textbook

    sales went to publishers. Peter Shea, an Albany University associate professor of informatics who studies

    higher education, said technologies like Amazon.com, self-publishing and more have been disturbing the

    conventional bookselling model over the past several years.

    OERs are one facet of the traumatic struggles that are occurring as a result of the disruption caused by

    Internet-based technologies, Shea said.

  • 33Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Andi Sporkin, vice president of communications with the Association of American Publishers, said many

    member publishers already have digital technologies and some have delved into OERs.

    She mentioned Pearson, which has developed an OER-based site called Project Blue Sky, as one example,

    though she wasnt aware of how it makes money.

    The old print traditional textbook is pretty much gone. If people arent getting into digital theyre certainly

    getting in to customized [products], she said.

    Sporkin expressed confidence in the value that publishers large and small bring to conventional and

    new content development processes, and said its too early to tell how big an impact OERs will have

    on publishers.

    I dont know, she said when asked what OERs are doing to the publishers business models. Its in a

    transitional stage. What I do know is that probably about eight to 10 years ago a number of major nonprofit

    foundations put a lot of money toward OER development. A lot of that has very quietly ended.

    Even as publishers such as Pearson are exploring OERs, Sporkin expressed concerns about them.

    She questioned the fact-checking process in OERs, as well as the effectiveness of OER authors in

    conveying concepts to students.

    Whats the quality of the OER material? And the biggest concern is: Is it good or good enough? she said.

    Wiley said the authors produce OER content for a variety of reasons.

    Some people produce content because they cant find what they think is good content out there in the

    world, Wiley said. Some people feel like its a social justice issue, that its completely immoral and

    wrong that books cost so much that students cant afford them.

    DeMarte said TCC is determined to use material that is on par with or better than what it currently uses.

    If the answer to that was no, he said, then we go nowhere with this.

    Even if quality was sufficient, some have said there are still other issues that OERs pose.

    Schmidt, of the NACS, said one is access to computers and reading devices, which may vary widely among

    students. Another issue has to deal with those devices malfunctioning.

    One of the biggest positives about an e-book, students say, is a lighter backpack, he said, And one

    of their greatest fears is youre getting ready to study for finals and you hit the power button and

    nothing happens.

    Schmidt also said students may like to study with multiple books open at once, annotating and highlighting.

  • 34Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    He cited a fall 2012 NACS on-campus survey of about 10,500 students that found 77 percent of students

    prefer print products.

    DeMarte said OERs arent likely to replace all methods of content delivery.

    This may in the end be just another option along the continuum for the student who wants to buy a new

    book and use it for life or rent a book or not have to buy a book at all.

    Kimberly Bovee, who is associate vice president for strategic learning initiatives at TCC, said one of the

    greatest advantages of OERs is the fact that instructors can start with learning outcomes and find a variety

    of sources to help achieve that as opposed to starting with a textbook and basing learning outcomes on

    whats available.

    When they keep their eye on that learning outcome, much of what is traditionally in a textbook isnt

    necessarily needed, Bovee said. It becomes much more focused, much clearer, much more direct.

    Bovee said the school is scheduling student orientation and Lumen will help analyze and tweak the

    program as it grows.

    She said Open TCC is likely here to stay, or else it wouldnt have made it this far.

    As OERs carve out a niche, industry experts said, companies are mulling over their responses.

    The staying power of OERs is strong, Reed and others have said, and its potential is great.

    The movie industry didnt start by making movies as we know them; it started by filming plays, Reed said.

    Only later did they realize that movie cameras can do things other than just record plays.

    I think right now OER is in the filming-a-play stage, where theyre taking the textbook model and imitating

    it - which is a perfectly valid first step.

    Source: http://insidebiz.com/news/some-buy-book-gone

  • 35Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    A textbook case of students not having enough money Published December 30, 2013

    BY BILL SIZEMORE

    NORFOLK At a recent meeting of Old Dominion Universitys governing Board of Visitors, a startling

    statistic caught board members attention.

    According to a survey, nearly one in five ODU students are attending classes without the benefit of

    textbooks. The reason: They cant afford them.

    Its a sharply rising trend, Todd Johnson, assistant vice president for auxiliary services, told the board.

    Along with escalating tuition and fees, accelerating textbook prices are a key reason why a college

    education is becoming less and less affordable not just at ODU, but across the nation.

    Earlier this year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that college textbook prices soared

    82 percent over the past decade almost as much as tuition and nearly three times the overall rate

    of inflation.

    Textbook prices for a semesters worth of classes typically run between $800 and $1,500, Johnson said.

    A single book in some areas of study can cost $200 or more.

    ODU has tried to ease the burden by offering used books and rental plans at the campus bookstore, but

    19 percent of students still cant bear the cost, Johnson said. Pell Grants, the need-based federal grants

    for low-income students, dont cover books. So students double up with friends and seek out online

    resources instead.

    Board members were stunned.

    I deem that a real problem for the university, Marc Jacobson said.

    Elio DiStaola, a spokesman for Oak Brook, Ill.-based Follett Higher Education Group, which manages

    ODUs bookstore, said the 19 percent figure is consistent with nationwide findings from the companys

    internal research.

    I cant even begin to think how the heck I would succeed in a classroom without my materials, he said.

    ODU administrators are exploring additional strategies for dealing with the problem, Johnson said.

    One innovative approach is getting a test run a few miles across town at Tidewater Community College, and

    the early reviews are positive.

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    TCC has just finished the first semester of a pilot program that allows students to complete a two-year

    associate degree in business administration without buying a single textbook.

    The Z Degree program Z for zero textbook cost makes use of free, openly licensed online materials

    known as open educational resources, or OER.

    Its estimated that students will save as much as $3,000 over two years about 30 percent of the cost of

    the degree.

    Its the first such program in the world, according to TCC and its partner, Lumen Learning, a Portland,

    Ore.-based company that helps schools integrate OER into their curricula.

    The TCC initiative was named a finalist this month for a national Bellwether Award, given annually by the

    Community College Futures Assembly, a think tank that recognizes trend-setting institutions.

    During the first semester of the pilot program, about 400 students took 16 Z courses ranging from

    business to English, math and electives.

    It seemed like a crazy idea at first. But so far, it looks like it is possible, said Daniel DeMarte, TCCs vice

    president for academic affairs and chief academic officer. Weve heard nothing negative from students

    or from faculty. What we tend to hear from students is, they know were in pilot mode but they want this

    option in other courses.

    In a sense, students have been ahead of the curve, DeMarte said, seeking out and tapping into online

    materials on their own.

    They have gotten very resourceful in finding access to the material electronically, by hook or crook, he

    said. Sometimes that means pirating the material.

    Pirating isnt an issue with the TCC degree program, because the resources used are free, open-source

    materials. Lumen Learning vetted the materials, assuring they are high-quality and suited to TCCs needs,

    and trained faculty members in how and where to find them.

    Kim Thanos, co-founder and CEO of the company, said a community college is an ideal place to test the

    concept because those institutions offer the sort of high-enrollment courses college algebra, English

    composition, introductory psychology and the like for which a wide variety of open-source materials

    are available.

    Open materials for more specialized, upper-level courses are not as common. Nonetheless, Thanos said,

    four-year universities are watching the Z Degree initiative with interest and will likely be the next frontier

    for the concept.

  • 37Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    We are seeing a real sea change in the use of open resources in a pervasive way, she said.

    Will the day eventually come when printed textbooks disappear?

    Its heresy to say that in some circles, DeMarte said. I think its inevitable. How long before that occurs

    is anybodys guess. But I think were moving in that direction.

    We need to be doing what we can to drive those costs down.

    Source: http://hamptonroads.com/2013/12/textbook-case-students-not-having-enough-money

  • 38Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Z Degree: TCCs textbook answer Published January 1, 2014

    College expenses continue to climb, from tuition to activity fees to interest on student loans.

    Many students enrolling in college classes fail to realize that education costs in one area have risen faster

    than nearly any other: textbooks.

    Since 2002, the cost of college textbooks has increased 82 percent. Figures for a longer term comparison

    are even more startling: Since 1978, the cost of textbooks has skyrocketed by 812 percent. The increase

    in textbook prices outstripped medical services by 237 percent, home prices by 487 percent and the

    consumer price index by 562 percent.

    One book for one course might cost as much as a car payment.

    Two schools in Norfolk have taken note. At Old Dominion University, the board of governors recently

    learned that nearly 20 percent of its students cannot afford textbooks for their classes. Old Dominion has

    decided to find ways to deal with that problem.

    Leaders at Tidewater Community College have addressed it head on: Students in classes for a two-year

    degree in business administration use only materials that can be found for free on the Internet. Course

    materials were vetted for quality, and professors received training in how to find them.

    About 400 students participated in TCCs pilot program called Z Degree. Z stands for zero textbook cost.

    Others have already clamored for the school to make book free an option for other courses.

    As The Pilots Bill Sizemore reported, the book-free classes could save a student as much as $3,000 over

    two years, nearly a third of the cost of the degree.

    TCC is a finalist for a national Bellwether Award for its endeavors, and other schools would be wise to

    emulate its success. The real impact lies in making education more affordable for more people. Students

    should not be hostage to professors who give no consideration to the cost of required course texts, nor

    should book publishers be free to extort those trying to accomplish required reading.

    The Internet has become an information equalizer. Education, the great equalizer, opens doors of

    opportunity. Combining the two opens doors for many more people.

    Source: http://hamptonroads.com/2013/12/z-degree-tccs-textbook-answer

  • 39Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Cost-Cutting College: Educations Future Published February 4, 2014

    For years, American families have accepted soaring tuition costs as a necessary evil to pay for a college

    degree and promising career.

    The recession, however, forced a change in

    thinking and pricing. Universities and students

    are seeing cost-cutting as a new way of life.

    A LEANER, MEANER EDUCATION

    Eryn Cotton loves working with children and

    paying for college as she goes. Besides teaching

    hip hop, she works three other jobs while going

    to school full-time.

    Shes part of a new generation hoping to

    downsize or eliminate college loans altogether.

    I just told myself right up front, Get it done and get it taken care of, she said.

    This desire, or shall we say demand, has colleges racing to come up with plans for an affordable degree.

    The latest average price increase for a four-year public school rose by 2.9 percent, the lowest increase in

    30 years.

    Christian colleges have also cut back. Dan Nelson, vice president for institutional data and research at

    Bethel University, said faith-based schools have forced themselves to get leaner and meaner.

    Many of us have streamlined our programs, undergone program reprioritization processes, Nelson said.

    Theres been quite a few salaries that have been frozen.

    NO MORE BOOKS!

    This era of cost-cutting has also led to new ways of educating. Imagine not having to lug heavy textbooks

    around, let alone pay for them.

    Thats the idea behind whats known as a textbook-free degree.

    Its not unusual for a student to come to me and literally say, The books for this class are half again as

    much as the tuition and I just cant afford it, Linda Williams, a faculty member at Tidwater Community

    College in Virginia, said.

    Stories like that led TCC to make history. Its the first accredited institution to offer a degree that costs

    students nothing for course material.

  • 40Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    The expected savings for a two-year degree: $2,000. Teachers access whats known as open educational

    materials free online.

    Were no longer constrained by what exists between the front and back cover of a traditional textbook,

    Williams said.

    Dr. Daniel DeMarte, vice president for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at Tidewater, said the

    free materials provide high level scholarly content.

    There is no compromise in quality in course textbooks or materials using open educational resources, he

    said. And we think its only going to get better.

    CREATIVE COST-CUTTING

    Colleges and universities are also getting more creative with financial aid. At least two Christian colleges,

    Houghton and Spring Arbor, will help graduates repay their loans if they earn less than $38,000 a year.

    Cotton uses several strategies to keep her tuition low. First, she takes as many community college classes

    as possible.

    You get more help I think at the community college and its a third of the price, so why not? she said.

    Shes also going online. Those classes are cheaper and allow her to squeeze in more work hours.

    Regent University Executive Vice President Paul Bonicelli said online education will likely drive cost-

    cutting strategies for the foreseeable future.

    Its not a panacea. It still costs to deliver a course online, but you can scale it in terms of an economy of

    scale, he explained. You can make it possible to teach more students with fewer of those resources.

    He admitted it brings out skeptics and critics. But Bonicelli said students want it, primarily, because of cost.

    What people are coming to now is, Where is the established brick and mortar campus, that has a

    reputation, that has the accreditations, that is also delivering education online? he explained.

    Then those students are more attracted to it because they realize, the qualitys already there, the rankings

    are there, he said. And I can get this education now even though I cant leave my home, which is 2,000

    miles away.

    A MOOC EDUCATION

    Christian colleges have a special mission to help those students entering the ministry, who cant afford

    major loans.

    For them and others who have high hopes and little money, there is growing interest in whats known as

    MOOCs Massive Open Online Courses.

  • 41Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    A MOOC allows you to take the course on your own time, at your own pace, Bonicelli said.

    Unlike traditional online classes, these arent tied to a semester schedule. MOOCs are also free for

    students not pursuing a degree. Those who need college credit can get big discounts.

    And the content can be exceptional, from engineers teaching their stuff at Massachusetts Institute of

    Technology to a What Is Jesus class at Regent.

    So the latest advice for students? Keep your options open and compare financial aid packages before

    making final decisions.

    Plan ahead by taking college classes in high school, and be organized.

    You have to be determined and if you want it you can get it, Cotton said.

    Source: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/finance/2014/January/Cost-Cutting-College-Educations-Future/

  • 42Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Baehre-Kolovani: OER - A textbook case for reducing college costs Posted: Friday, March 7, 2014

    In efforts to ensure the future affordability of higher education, textbooks

    dont receive the same notoriety as, say, tuition, fees, athletic facilities and

    faculty salaries. And yet, according to the American Enterprise Institute,

    the cost of college textbooks has risen 812 percent since 1978, more

    than the rates of inflation, health care, new home prices and even college

    tuition itself.

    The academic toll is high. In January, the University of Marylands student

    government association reported the results of a survey in which 65 percent

    of students said they have decided not to buy a textbook because of price,

    and nearly half say they decide their courses based on how much the books

    cost. At Virginia State University, business school dean Mirta Martin found

    that fewer than half of VSU business school students purchased textbooks,

    and that many had to repeat their classes. After she arranged a pilot of lower-cost digital textbooks and

    increased academic support, student success markedly improved.

    But what if a student could avoid buying textbooks altogether?

    Open educational resources, known as OER, have emerged as one answer, and many institutions offer

    courses using OER, which are publicly licensed and academically vetted content. A congressional briefing

    on March 10 in Washington, D.C., will focus on the potential of OER to alter the landscape of higher

    education and truly put a dent in college costs.

    However, despite the success of OER, too few colleges and universities have pushed the envelope in

    examining the full potential of OER in teaching and learning.

    In the fall of 2013, Tidewater Community College took an unprecedented step: Inspired by a presentation

    at a retreat organized by Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginias Community Colleges, we piloted an entire,

    two-year business degree using OER. Not only business courses were included, but also all of the general

    education courses a student needs to complete the academic program. TCCs vice president for academic

    affairs, Daniel DeMarte, will be speaking at the congressional briefing about our program, which we were

    able to accomplish with the help of Lumen Learning. Lumens co-founder, David Wiley, is also expected

    to speak.

  • 43Z-DEGREE // TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Until TCCs Z-Degree, no college or university in the U.S. had gathered the diversity of OER resources

    and developed a faculty team that could produce an entirely textbook-free degree. Over two years, a

    student stands to save more than $3,600 on the cost of the degree just in textbooks, on top of already

    affordable community college tuition.

    Textbooks cost students and professors in other ways as well.

    Because textbooks are frequently written for broad audiences in the hopes that they will be adopted by

    large numbers of faculty and departments, they are filled with content that is superfluous to a specific

    courses learning outcomes. At best, the faculty member who is focused on content directly supporting the

    courses outcomes must skip significant portions of the textbook. At worst, a faculty member may rely on

    the textbooks content, not the learning outcomes, to organize and teach a course.

    Either way, faculty who want to individualize or update learning content must supplement. The cost is in

    teaching efficiency and effectiveness.

    Our data from the first semester of the Z-Degree are encouraging. Textbook-free courses had higher student

    retention and comparable grades, and students perceived better course quality and success at meeting

    learning goals. The spring semester textbook-free course offerings were quickly filled.

    Nicole Allen of SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition, directed a national

    student campaign for textbook affordability, and she is also scheduled to appear at the congressional