MiraCosta Guidelines – ZTC Pathway Grant Planning

This set of guidelines has helped guide conversations and planning with current ZTC pathway grant planning:

If an existing, suitable Canvas course that is built on OER/ZTC/LTC is openly shared (by a local colleague, through Canvas Commons, or otherwise)

1. Simple course adoption
Course fits the MiraCosta Course Outline of Record with minimal or no changes to content, assessment, and outcomes.
Minimum work needed:  Import course into appropriate course shell and update syllabus, instructor information, college support information, due dates, and any other contextualized information. 5-15 hours.

2. Moderate course adaptation
Course needs modifications to content, sequencing, assessments, and/or outcomes to fit the MiraCosta Course Outline of Record.
Minimum work needed: In addition to work listed in #1, seek and adapt, or develop as needed, content and assessments. Modify course as needed to fit the SLOs from the MiraCosta COR. Re-sequence the course as needed. 20-50 hours.

If an OER textbook or LTC/ZTC source exists which effectively provides the same content as current textbook(s) (but not an adoptable Canvas course)

3. Easy textbook swap
Current course design refers to publisher content but is not heavily dependent on it.
Minimum work needed: Throughout the course, update references to textbook content. 10-40 hours.

4. Moderate textbook swap
Current course design utilizes some publisher resources such as PowerPoints, assessment questions, and other ancillary materials, but there are open materials associated with the OER text which can largely be used instead.
Minimum work needed: Throughout the course, update textbook content references, update links to associated support materials, and update assessments. 30-80 hours.

5. Difficult textbook swap
Current course design is heavily dependent on instructor-created materials such as video lectures which were closely tied to publisher-provided content.
And/or current course design relies on publisher-provided materials for which there is no current openly available substitute.
And/or current course design integrates with publisher’s digital systems for student engagement/assessment
Minimum work needed: Re-creation of lectures or other course materials (or redesign of course to use other pedagogical approaches to student learning of content), integration or development of interactive/assessment resources to replace those previously provided by the publisher. 100+ hours.

If no single OER/ZTC/LTC source effectively provides the same content as current textbook(s)

6. Course material curation
Find, integrate, and/or adapt multiple OER, ZTC, and/or LTC content resources to provide the content required by the MiraCosta COR.
Some original content development may be required if existing resources are inadequate.
Consider whether it is important or even necessary to pull together disparate content resources into a stand-alone course material “reader”/resource, or whether it’s sufficient to simply integrate diverse resources throughout the course. Considerations include usability (student experience), sustainability (can you rely on linked material remaining available), accessibility (are all the different resources compliant with accessibility standards), and course transferability (some institutions prefer a single textbook-like source vs. a “list of links” in the syllabus).
Minimum work needed: Discovery, integration, and potentially adaptation of multiple OER and/or ZTC resources to substitute for textbook content. Substantially more work may be required if it is determined that those diverse sources should be integrated into one primary course material source. 20-100+ hours for this work.
Then you still need to consider whether you’re looking at a type 3, 4, or 5 course material “swap” as described above.

7. Course material development
Existing OER/ZTC/LTC resources are inadequate and it’s preferable to develop an original primary course text/resource
There is some gray between #6 and #7. It is rare that a Development project would truly start from scratch. Do seek out existing OER resources that you can adapt/build from. Check with disciplinary colleagues and other OER/ZTC resource folks (see below) to ensure you’ve explored all avenues before setting out to create something from scratch.
Your work could be extremely valuable to others. Consider upfront how you might license and share the work. This will affect how you adapt existing material and the format in which you create it.
Consider upfront the platforms available to you for developing an open course resource.
Minimum work needed: Hundreds of hours. This is a great sabbatical project.
Then you still need to consider whether you’re looking at a type 3, 4, or 5 course material “swap” as described above.

When OER/ZTC/LTC course redesign was done previously, but a need has been identified for updates to the course materials and/or course itself

8. OER/ZTC/LTC course or course material update
Experience, reflection, student feedback, curriculum changes, and/or other data shows that there are needs/opportunities to improve an OER/ZTC/LTC course design and/or the course materials themselves
Minimum work needed: Varies greatly depending on the needs and plans.