Date Posted: November 27, 2023
Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) is pleased to announce the introduction of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Z-Courses within its Arts and Sciences division, beginning Spring Semester 2024. This important initiative seeks to revolutionize the educational landscape by providing students with free and accessible learning materials while enhancing the overall quality of education.
Open Educational Resources are educational materials that are openly licensed for anyone to use, adapt, and share freely. These resources include textbooks, multimedia content, assessment tools, and more and they are designed to provide an affordable and equitable solution to traditional, costly educational materials.
The introduction of Open Educational Resources has paved the way for Z-Courses, an exciting new initiative at SCTC. With the addition of OERs into the curriculum, students are now eligible to register for specific courses offered each semester that have been identified as Zero Textbook Cost courses or Z-Courses. Using OERs, there are no textbook costs associated with Z-Courses and will offer students a multitude of benefits such as significant cost savings, enhanced learning, increased accessibility, and inclusivity.
Kimberly Register, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Southern Crescent Technical College, expressed her enthusiasm for this transformative initiative saying, “We are excited to introduce Open Educational Resources and Z-Courses within our Arts and Sciences division. This initiative reflects our continued commitment to enhancing the educational experience for our students.
OERs not only reduce the financial strain on our students, but also provide additional flexibility and empower instructors to innovate in their teaching methods. We believe that this move will create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all. Moving forward, we plan to further expand our Z-Course offerings using OERs.”
In addition, SCTC is also implementing Low Cost Textbook Pathways (LTC) where required textbooks can be purchased for $40 or less in either physical or electronic format. Similar to Z-Courses, LTC Pathways allow students to acquire supporting course materials at a deeply discounted rate. The implementation of OERs signifies a progressive step toward a more affordable and inclusive education, ensuring that students have the resources they need to excel in their academic journey.
For more information, visit www.sctech.edu/Zcourses.