How Virginia is Scaling the Z-Degree Across All 23 Colleges

Richard SebastianDirector, Teaching & Learning TechnologiesVirginia Community College Systemrsebastian@vccs.edu

A Z-Degree is a pathway to a degree or credential that has zero textbook costs

by using course materials made up of open educational resources (OER).

What is a Z-Degree?

OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or

have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use

and re-purposing by others. 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.

What is OER?

OER

*

Universe of Traditional Course Materials

What is so great about open educational

resources?

A multi-institutional study of the impact of open textbook adoption on the learning outcomes of postsecondary students

• 5,000 postsecondary students using OER • 11,000+ control students using commercial

textbooks• ten (10) institutions across the United States• fifteen (15) different undergraduate courses

1. course completion2. final grade of C- or higher3. course grade

Students whose faculty chose OER generally performed as well or better than students whose faculty assigned commercial textbooks--Fischer et. al.(2015)

VCCS & OER

8

Zx23 Project Grant $200k from Hewlett

Foundation$380k Match from VCCS

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Virginia is an OER trailblazer and Z-Degree leader

Hewlett (potentially) funding a national Z-Degree project

OER Adoption At Scale Is A Human Change Process

Engaged Champion Leaders

VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois

Adapted to Existing Ecosystems

Successful Trailblazers

Built Infrastructure & Support

April 2015Hewlett Foundation Zx23

Grant Awarded

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Request for proposals, contracts, project planning

Vision

Why this degree program?

How is cabinet supporting the vision?

Communication Plan

With whom?How?• Project management• Broad awareness

OER Review

Full coursesExisting resourcesDifficulty to create

Enrollment Plan

CoursesCurrent sectionsTimed transitionFaculty Metrics

Support and Faculty Development Plan

FacultyProgram leadsCampus support staffInstitutional leaders

Develop program leads

Choose the right degree

Engage faculty effectively

Set enrollment goals

May 2015Project Development

June 2015Zx23 Program Manager

hiredCheryl Huff, GCC

July 201516 colleges

awarded Zx23 grants6 degree programs

1. Business Administration

2. Business Management

3. Criminal Justice

4. General Education

5. Liberal Arts6. Social

Science

August 2015Webinars, webinars, and

more webinars(+ blog posts)

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August 2015OER Courses Tab in

Blackboard Learn

August 2015OER Courses Tab in

Blackboard Learn

August 2015Faculty development

September 2015FA15 z-courses underway

SP16 z-courses being developed

September 2015FA15 z-courses underway

SP16 z-courses being developed100+ courses

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Zx23 Interim Results

354 faculty members

FA15 SP16

TOTALSInterested Running Planning

Faculty 106 92 156 354

Colleges 4 19 23 23

Zx23 3 13 16 16 Other 1 6 7 7

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October 2015Zx23 Interim Results

Projected EnrollmentsFall 2015 14,691*

Savings $1,469,100

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Zx23 Interim Results

Projected FA-SP Savings$4,140,400*

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Perspective2015-2016 Intro Biology$3,400,000

Zx23 Interim Results

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Zx23 Interim Results

Other OER data sourcesNVCC SDV 100 8,000+

SIS Course Attribute 4,423“Rogue” OER courses

Links

EdTech@VCCShttp://edtech.vccs.edu

Candela VCCS cataloghttps://courses.candelalearning.com/catalog/vccs

Zx23 Course Spreadsheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fObL6TJvKFRrCUz70xxdyqsf2VoTWxY4No9gfKayGEw/htmlview#

Pathways OER Coursehttps://courses.candelalearning.com/pathways/

Zx23 webinar archivehttps://bit.ly/zx23_archive

Lumen Learninghttp://www.lumenlearning.com

OpenVAhttp://openva.orghttp://groups.google.com/group/openva