This project is now complete and operational.
Reducing costs, improving the learning experience
When the B.C. Open Textbook Project (now known as the B.C. Open Collection) was announced in 2012, the goal was to reduce student costs by creating open textbooks for the 40 most popular post-secondary courses. Since then, we have saved the students of British Columbia millions of dollars through the development of more than 250 open textbooks (with more than 2000 adoptions) across the B.C. post-secondary education system.
Due to the interest, demand, and success of the initial project, a second phase was introduced in the spring of 2014 to develop an additional 20 open textbooks to be used within the trades, technology, and skills training sector. In 2017, the province announced a decision to provide an additional $250,000 in funding to continue B.C. Open Textbooks. In 2019, BCcampus received $3.26 million in funding from the province to support the creation and use of open educational resources and practices in the province.
Accessible learning
In addition to reducing costs for students, the B.C. Open Collection supports instructors in improving the learning environment for their students. By sharing, reusing, and remixing content in the B.C. Open Collection, instructors can tailor-fit the material for their curriculum and follow Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to improve accessibility for all students. Here are a few of the Open Education stories with local educators sharing their experience with accessible learning.
Find, adopt, or adapt a textbook on collection.BCcampus.ca.
Review an Open Textbook
We are currently looking for faculty to review an open textbook to ensure the content is:
- Accurate
- Comprehensive
- Constructive
- Concise
Your assistance and feedback will help us create affordable, usable content for the learners of B.C.
Approved reviews will receive an honorarium and the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to the learning landscape of B.C.