Find out how BCcampus supports JIBC and all BC institutions in open education and teaching and learning. Open education aims to remove barriers to education and learning including things like the cost of tuition and course materials, geography, format and design, admission requirements, and hierarchy over whose knowledge is valued.
WHAT INNOVATIVE PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY?
Cost Indicators Project
In post-secondary education, the cost of course materials can have a big impact on students’ academic choices and financial well-being. Yet, at many institutions, students don’t know how much their course materials will cost until after they register, making it hard to plan or make fully informed decisions.
This three-year, system-level initiative, led by BCcampus and funded by the Hewlett Foundation, aims to change that by:
- Introducing cost indicators in course registration systems so students can see upfront costs for required materials, including textbooks, articles, course packs, lab manuals, and software.
- Building a sustainable, automated system for tracking and reporting on the adoption of open educational resources (OER) across institutions.
- Giving institutions better data to guide strategy and growth in affordable learning practices.
JIBC is one of the institutions working on this initiative through a BCcampus grant to add cost indicators to program information.
WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS OR CHALLENGES BEING SOLVED?
By improving transparency around course material costs, this work helps students make informed choices and supports institutions in creating more affordable, accessible learning experiences.
Collaboration is at the heart of the project:
- Student groups are key partners and advocates for transparency and institutional change.
- Institutions are supported by the project team through the cultural, technical, and operational shifts needed to make system-wide implementation possible.
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