May 2, 2024
Story by Maggie Harris
Photo by Joe Vinduska
When Barton Community College launched the Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative in 2018, the goal was to offer a full degree using the OER framework; that goal will become a reality this fall with the availability of the Low-Cost Degree Pathway.
Through this new pathway, students can choose online courses developed using OER resources and other low-cost course materials. For the low-cost pathway, each course will use course materials that are $50 or less, often at no cost to the student.
Barton Director of Innovation and Compliance Lee Miller said this approach to classroom resources has many advantages.
“With the increased cost of higher education, the textbook is the one space where faculty can make an impact in reducing the cost of education,” she said. “By becoming mindful of these costs, faculty cannot only affect college affordability but also ensure access to course materials.”
Barton currently offers over 160 OER-certified courses, mainly through Barton Online. With the latest course additions, students will be able to utilize the low-cost pathway to complete an associate of science, arts, or general studies degree. Since these low-cost or no-cost options became available in 2019, Barton estimates that students have saved over $1.2 million in textbook and other course material costs.
Student cost savings are determined for both no-cost and low-cost courses using a conservative estimate of $100 saved per student per textbook or resource per course. Miller said this is an estimate adopted from research from the Kansas Board of Regents OER Steering Committee.
“We want to support student success, and that comes by supporting both faculty and students,” she said. “Student benefits of affordability and accessibility are only generated by the faculty’s hard work and dedication.”
For more information on the low-cost pathway, contact Barton Online at (620) 786-7480 or visit textbookfreedom.bartonccc.edu.