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OER Start Guide

This guide is designed to introduce faculty to Open Educational Resources, what they are, why they are important, how to find them, how to recognize them, and how to use them. This guide also covers the basics of United States Copyright Law.

Understanding the Z-Degree

A Z-Degree is a pathway to a degree on which students do not have to purchase a single textbook.

At HCC, the Open Educational Resources Committee has worked with dedicated faculty to make a Z-Degree pathway for an AA Degree. This AA Degree consists of at least 40 credits, with at least two courses from each of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota State Transfer Curriculum.

HCC began offering the AA Z-Degree Pathway starting Fall Semester 2021.

For the purposes of a Z-Degree, a Zero-Cost textbook or resource is a book/educational resource that a student does not have to purchase to use. 

Examples:

  • Open Educational Resources -  openly licensed, freely available materials - typically found online - that can be used for educational purposes (see the first tab of this guide).
    • OERs are ideal for a Z-Degree because they are free for all students, can be adapted by instructors, and will stay free for future use.
  • Library Resources - textbooks or resources held in the library's physical and/or digital collections that are equally available to all students enrolled in a class are considered a Zero-Cost resource
    • In the case of a physical textbook or resource, this means that the library must provide one physical copy of the course's materials for each student enrolled in the class.
      • Resources that are not returned or are returned damaged are subject to replacement fees.
    • In the case of an electronic textbook or resource, this means that the library must provide access to a digital copy of course's materials that can be accessed by all students enrolled in the class at once.
  • Zero-Cost Semester Loans - textbooks or resources that are loaned to students by the Library for no cost for the duration of a semester-long course, and returned to the Library at the end of the semester.  
    • Like a lost or damaged library book, resources that are not returned or are returned damaged are subject to replacement fees.

The following materials can be expected to be Zero-Cost when enrolling in a Z-Degree Course

  • Textbooks
  • Homework Access
  • Exam Access

The following materials should NOT be expected to be "Zero-Cost" when enrolling in a Z-Degree course

  • Lab Kits, such as a Biology Kit or Art Kit
  • Art Supplies, such as beads or paints
  • Tools and Equipment, such as a Culinary Knife Set or Electrical Tool Kit
  • External fees, such as the price of Bowling
  • Sporting Equipment, such as Yoga Mats
  • Participation Fees, such as an Athletics Fee for Basketball
  • Open Textbooks - openly licensed, freely available, online textbooks
  • ​Open Courses - openly licensed, freely available, online courses that may include readings, videos, and other learning resources
  • ​Other Open Educational Resources (OERs)​ - openly licensed, freely available, online resources that can be used for educational purposes
  • Zero-cost Textbook Semester Loans​ - traditionally published textbooks that can be borrowed at zero-cost in the HCC Library.  Students are not charged for these textbooks unless they fail to return the textbooks at the end of the semester or return them in poor condition (determined by Library staff).
  • ​Library Resources ​- physical or digital resources held in the Library's physical collection or online databases
  • ​Free, Copyrighted Resources under Fair Use​ - educators can use a number of traditionally published, copyrighted materials for educational purposes
  • ​Works in the Public Domain​ - works that have an expired copyright (such as classic literature) or have been dedicated to the Public Domain by their creators
  • ​Faculty-developed Materials​ -  lectures, PowerPoint presentations, assignments, exams, and other educational resources developed by Faculty

Z-Degree at HCC

HCC Faculty:

If you currently teach a course that does not use zero-cost or Open Educational Resources, and would like to learn more about how to do so, please contact Rachel Milani or Kate Brau.

Opinions about Z-Degrees

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