Open Educational Resources
Allow students and instructors the ability to access Zero Cost Textbooks for courses and programs.
What are Open Educational Resources?
Creative Commons defines Open Educational Resources (OER) as teaching, learning, and research materials that are either in the public domain or licensed in a manner that provides everyone with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities– retaining, remixing, revising, reusing, and redistributing the resources.
— Hewlett Foundation
The benefits of OER
For students:
- Free textbooks
- Available on the first day of studies and after completing a course
- Course materials are accessible, can be accessed online, or printed via the VCC Bookstore
For instructors:
- Editable, customizable, and aligned with curriculum
- Suite of OER available, including textbooks, slides, test banks, and activities
- Academic freedom to modify course materials
For administrators:
- Addresses affordability, completion of courses, and accessibility
- Potential for increased enrollment
- Improved student participation and course grades
- Free of collecting students data
Open Educational Resources at VCC
CAD Technician short certificate
Students who enroll in the Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) Technician short certificate at Vancouver Community College (VCC) no longer have to purchase textbooks to complete their program.
Two open textbooks have been developed and are available in the BCcampus Open Textbook Collection: AutoCAD 2D eBook and AutoDesk 3D eBook.
BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English
This reader, written specifically for adults, contains eight chapters about Langston Hughes’ family history and personal life. It includes excerpts from many of Hughes’ poems and is designed to accompany the BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 2. This level 2 reader, one of a series of six readers, is roughly equivalent to grades 1.5 to 3 in the K-12 system.
VCC programs with open textbooks
No cost textbooks are offered in the following programs:
- Academic Upgrading
- Baking and Culinary
- Business Management (International)
- Business and Project Management (International)
- CAD and BIM (Drafting)
- Hairstyling
- Nursing
Find VCC programs that have no textbook cost
OER Support
The VCC Library OER Guide offers more information on finding and adopting OER, adapting OER, and creating OER.
If you are interested in resources available for your department, see the VCC Library OER Guide by Department or contact your liaison librarian.
There are a number of OER available outside of VCC. BC Open Collection offers free, open, and customizable materials by course or subject.