Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) refers to courses and programs with zero required textbook costs.
You can achieve this by:
- having no required textbook,
- assigning open educational resources (OER), such as an open textbook,
- assigning BCIT Library resources that are free for students,
- assigning instructor-created resources, such as instructor notes or other resources posted on the Learning Hub,
- assigning free online resources.
Courses may be marked as ZTC if a commercial textbook is optional.
Requiring students to pay for lab manuals or homework systems means that the course cannot be marked ZTC. Studio fees and equipment/supplies do not impact the ZTC designation.
Marking your course ZTC
There is a checkbox on your course outline to mark your course ZTC. This way students will know that they will save money by taking your course.
ZTC at BCIT
The Associate Certificate in the Fundamentals of Water and Wastewater Operations program is BCIT’s first zero textbook cost (ZTC) certification. Congratulations to the School of Construction and the Environment!
The program curriculum takes full advantage of open education resources and practices. Students enrolled in the program will not be required to purchase any additional textbooks or resources.
How to find OER
You can achieve ZTC by incorporating OER (Open Education Resources) into your course.
- BCcampus OER Adoption Finder
- Open Education Research Guide
- OER by Discipline Directory
- Open UBC Finding Guide
Content on this page was adapted from KPU’s ZTC webpage.