A record number of Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) courses will be offered this fall without the need for students to purchase textbooks.
In September, 353 courses in a range of subjects will use library and open educational resources instead of textbooks under KPU’s Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) initiative, which was this first of its kind in Canada when it launched in 2018. That represents 21 per cent of all courses offered by the university this fall, up from 333 courses, or 18 per cent of the total, last fall.
Amanda Grey, an open education strategist at KPU, says the ZTC initiative helps remove barriers to access post-secondary education, creating a more equitable place for all students to learn.
“ZTC reduces financial barriers for students who may need to choose between buying a textbook and buying groceries, or who need to wait several weeks after the start of classes until they have the funds,” says Grey.
For instructors, offering a ZTC course allows for more flexibility in choosing readings and resources that are more directly applicable to the content they are delivering, she says.
Since its launch, the ZTC initiative has offered over 3,500 courses to over 75,000 students. The cumulative cost saving for KPU students of not having to purchase textbooks has now reached almost $8.5 million, says Grey.
Courses without textbooks are proving popular. Data from past academic years shows that on average ZTC courses have a faster fill rate than non-ZTC courses, adds Grey.
And KPU is continuing to add more options.
“During the last academic year, we continued to see growth in the form of new courses and new instructors joining the ZTC initiative. We had 161 new ZTC courses and 64 new instructors choosing to make their courses ZTC,” says Grey.
Gillian Sudlow, an educational consultant and member of the Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation at KPU, teaches all her courses without a textbook requirement.
“I think it’s going to continue to grow. There’s always going to be demand,” says Sudlow. “It’s fantastic that KPU is really leading the way on this.”
Recognizing some of her students consider textbooks cost-prohibitive or overwhelming, Sudlow started creating her own resources better suited to the courses she teaches.
“When I was using textbooks, I found myself teaching to them and not necessarily teaching to the learning outcomes of the course,” says Sudlow.
Although ZTC courses do not require students to pay for a textbook, there still may be other costs associated with the course, such as equipment, supplies and studio fees.
In addition to individual courses, KPU offers eight complete credentials that don't require the purchasing of commercial textbooks, including two bachelor’s degrees, two associate’s degrees, two diplomas and two certificates.