OER and ZTC: OER & ZTC at RHC

"ZTC" and "OER" are not equivalent terms!

Here is one of the most often cited definitions of OER:

“Open Educational Resources (“OER”) are teaching, learning, and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation, and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions."

"Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.” (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation)

While the definition of ZTC, as we use it in California, comes from the language of the legislation that created the use of this designation on our class schedules:

"Zero-Textbook-Cost (ZTC) refers to instances in which textbooks are available to students at no cost, and California Education Code §66406.9 requires that California Community Colleges “clearly highlight, by means that may include a symbol or logo in a conspicuous place on the online campus course schedule, the courses that exclusively use digital course materials,” providing a mechanism for marking course sections that are zero-textbook-cost."

"2021 revisions to California Education Code §78052 redefined “zero-textbook-cost degrees” to allow for “low-cost” to be recognized as “zero” in ill-defined instances, stating, "‘zero-textbook-cost degrees may include a low-cost degree option if a no-cost equivalent option is not available or cannot be developed” (ASCCC)

ZTC Checklist includes:

• Criteria for courses bearing the ZTC symbol
• Materials that qualify as ZTC
• Materials for courses that do not require a textbook (do not qualify as ZTC)
• ZTC symbol usage (SB 1359)