Florence Daddey
Florence has long been a champion of Open Education pedagogy and principles and was instrumental in securing our Open Education Sustainability Grant from BCcampus in 2019. Her research was one of the first efforts supported by the grant initiative. Florence used her research to explore the benefits of Open Textbooks and Zero-Cost-Textbook programs from a student perspective. It is worth comparing her research here with our student perspectives in this issue of the Hub.
The value of “free”: improving students experience through open education resources
The use of open educational resources (OERs) at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) seeks to increase accessibility and affordability of education for students. In 2015, the JIBC Law Enforcement Studies Diploma (LESD) program transitioned from being textbook dependent to the creation of Canada’s first Zero-Cost Credential (Zed Cred) program.
Zed Cred allows students to complete and earn an academic credential using zero cost (100% free) learning resources including open textbooks and library materials. With funding support from BCcampus and the use of BCcampus open technology Pressbooks, faculty can produce and maintain content to meet students learning needs and reduce their overall costs. LESD students continue to benefit from these cost savings.
Want to chat more with Florence? Reach out to her at daddeyf@douglascollege.ca.