Adding Zero-Textbook-Cost Grant Program Open Educational Resources (OER) to COOL4Ed

California Education Code Section 78050-78052  (Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant Program) specifies that a community college district that receives Zero-Textbook-Cost (ZTC) funds shall “Ensure all open educational resources developed pursuant to this subdivision is added to the California Digital Open Source Library established in Section 66408.” The California Open Online Library for Education (COOL4Ed) is the library referenced in the legislation and a portal for the addition of ZTC resources has been developed for use by the California Community Colleges. As COOL4Ed is a database that acts as a directory, resources will primarily be shared by providing information that directs users to the locations where the open educational resources (OER) are housed.

To meet the reporting requirements associated with the ZTC legislation and to ensure that COOL4Ed meets the needs of users trying to find OER, the COOL4Ed ZTC Resources portal has been modified to specifically meet the needs of the ZTC Degree Grant Program. Specific modifications include the following:

  • A field that identifies whether a resource was developed with ZTC funds.
  • Fields to track Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID) designations and Cal-GETC areas.
  • Both a non-CTE (Other) and a CTE (CTE) discipline category have been created to ensure a discipline option for all resources is available and to determine when a new discipline should be added.
  • Limited options for the types of resources that can be included as a means of promoting accessibility. Access the Discipline Options in the COOL4Ed ZTC Portal.
  • Limited options for the types of licenses that can be selected in light of the requirement that “Any published materials produced under an agreement or sub-agreement using public funds must be subject to a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY)” (Procedures and Standards of the Board of Governors, December 2022 Edition, p. 40 ), if permissible.
  • A process for identifying adapted or remixed OER that do not warrant addition to COOL4Ed as a new resource, but should be identified as products developed with ZTC funds (see Adapted and Remixed OER for more information).
  • The portal has been designed to allow resources that were developed through cross-college collaborations to be submitted by one college and also identified as a product of the other participating college or colleges.
  • A process for sharing OER that are only available to faculty users (e.g., assessments).
  • All entries into COOL4Ed can be searched by the identified fields, any term in the resource’s description, and additional keywords (tags) added during the resource submission process.

In order to ensure the usefulness of COOL4Ed, minor modifications of existing OER (adaptations and remixes) should generally not be added to COOL4Ed. If more than 30–50% of the content (by volume or pedagogical impact) is new, restructured, or substantially changed, it is reasonable to consider it a new resource rather than a minor adaptation. OER that are adapted or remixed with minor changes should be reported to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges OER Initiative (OERI) with an overview of the changes made. Such resources will be made available by the OERI and the OERI will report this information to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Access the OER Project Update Submission Form  to report your ZTC-funded adapted and remixed OER. If a bulk upload process is desired and/or you are uncertain as to whether to include your OER in COOL4Ed or via the process referenced here, please contact the OERI for assistance (oeri@asccc.org). The information fields specified for submission to COOL4Ed will suffice for submission to OERI. Sharing a modified OER with the OERI will fulfill the reporting requirement for such resources.

Accessing the COOL4Ed Submission Site

In order to facilitate the addition of OER to the COOL4Ed database, the California Community Colleges that received ZTC funding were asked to create a specific email address that would be granted the permissions to submit resources. If assistance is needed, please use the ZTC Degree Program email to request help (ztc@cccco.edu). The submission site can be found by going to the COOL4Ed Welcome page (cool4ed.org), selecting “ZTC Resources,” and then clicking on the button that reads “Add ZTC Program OER.” The user can also access the submission site by going directly to the Add ZTC Program Open Educational Resources (OER) page (cool4ed.org/ztc/add). Prior to accessing the submission site, users should ensure they are prepared to provide all required information.

Screenshot of COOL4Ed Welcome page. Users can select C-ID/Course Materials, Faculty Showcase, or ZTC Resources.

COOL4Ed Data Fields

The COOL4Ed ZTC portal has been designed to ensure that all necessary data are submitted. If a required field is left blank, proceeding with the submission is not permitted. If assistance with the submission process is needed, please use the ZTC Degree Program email to request help (ztc@cccco.edu). A summary of the fields is provided below the image of the 1st page of the submission process. The fields have been numbered to facilitate communication and some have been combined.

class

The fields on the 1st page of the submission process are the following:

  1. Was this resource created with Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant Program funds? Select “yes” if ZTC funds were used to support the OER being submitted. Even if the work was only partially supported with ZTC funds, “yes” should still be selected.
  2. Course Discipline From the dropdown menu, select the discipline associated with the OER being submitted, not the ZTC pathway that the OER would be used for. Access the Discipline Options in the COOL4Ed ZTC Portal.
  3. If an appropriate discipline is not available, select “Other” if the missing discipline is not CTE or CTE if it is CTE. These options are at the bottom of the discipline drop-down menu. Either selection will allow you to manually enter the discipline. These data will be used to inform future discipline updates.
  4. C-ID and Cal-GETC Whether or not a course has either of these attributes is not a local determination. Please consult your Articulation Officer if you are uncertain of the status of a course for which you are submitting OER. Both of these fields are not required and should be skipped if not applicable.
  5. Course Title Enter the title of the course (e.g., Introduction to Public Speaking) and its associated identifier (e.g., COMM C1000).
  6. Course Institution As noted earlier, collaboratively created resources can be “claimed” by all participating colleges. After completing items 1-5, submitters then select either “Add New Resource” or “Choose Submitted Resource.” If “Add New Resource” is selected, the user will advance to the ZTC Resource page where they will complete the remaining items. If “Choose Submitted Resource” is selected, the user will be able to search and select from the submitted resources. After selecting the submitted resource, it will appear below the information already provided and the user will select “Save and Finish” to complete the process of identifying the OER as a product of the college. Edits to submitted resources can only be made by the original submitter. Select “Save and Finish” to proceed to the 2nd page of the submission process for a new resource or to complete the process when a submitted resource has been chosen.
Screenshot of summary table of resources attached to a course.

The fields in the 2nd page of the submission process are the following:

  1. Resource Title and Resource Description Enter the title associated with the resource and provide 3 - 5 sentences to describe the resource. Keep in mind that elements of the description will be used when searching for resources. Your description should emphasize what is unique about the resource you are sharing.
  2. Resource Type; Resource URL; Resource Format; Resource Platform; Resource License Each of these fields requires additional explanation and are addressed in the next section of this document.
  3. Resource Tags “Tags” are keywords that assist users when searching for a resource. Attributes of the resource that are not captured in other fields can be included here. Multiple tags can be added at once by separating them with a colon. When all tags have been entered in the available space, click the “Add Tag” button to add the entered tag(s).
  4. Resource Production Year Indicate the year the resource was completed.
  5. Resource Authors List each of the resource authors and their institution. Select “Add another author” to add additional authors. Select “Review” to preview the resource information you have provided. Select “Back” if edits are needed or “Save Resource” to complete the process.

Items 1 - 5 are included on the first page of submitted data. Items 6 - 10 are collected on the second page when a resource has not previously been submitted.

Screenshot of resource entry form.

Resource Type and Resource URL

The resource types available are:

  • Textbook
  • Lab Manual
  • Assessment
  • Image / Graphic
  • Presentation / Slides
  • Video
  • Complete Course
  • Other

Resource types screenshot

If “Assessment” is selected, it is presumed that the resource should be available only to verified faculty. Consequently, the submitter will have the option of entering the email of a contact that can give appropriate parties access to the resource or a URL may be added that takes the user to a website that either verifies that the user should have access or provides a mechanism for confirming that the user should have access. Links to Canvas Commons, a webpage that provides access instructions, or a website that verifies that users are faculty would be appropriate. It is anticipated that the use of an email to provide access will be phased out over time as a more sustainable solution is identified. Please note that the submitter must provide either an email or a URL; providing both is not an option.

If “Other” is selected, the user will be provided a space to specify the other. “Other” should only be selected if the available options are truly inappropriate.

In the URL field, you must provide a valid website address.

Resource Format

The available format options are intentionally limited and have excluded formats that have known accessibility issues. HTML, PDF, and Word Processor Document are the only specified options. HTML should be selected when a resource is hosted by an OER publisher, such as LibreTexts, OER Commons, or Pressbooks. If “Other” is selected, the user will be provided a space to specify the other. Screenshot of resource formats.

Resource Platform

As all resources are anticipated to be accessible via a website or online platform, the Resource Platform field requires you to specify where the resource can be accessed. The available options are:

  • Canvas Commons
    • Please include the hashtag #CCCZTC to help others find your materials in Canvas Commons.
  • LibreTexts
  • Pressbooks
  • OER Commons
  • College Website
  • Other

If “Other” is selected, the user will be provided a space to specify the other. 

Screenshot of resource platforms.

Resource License

All ZTC OER must be licensed CC BY, unless the resource is a derivative or a remix that requires a different license. Other than CC BY, which is required by the Board of Governors, the other available license options are:

  • CC BY-NC
  • CC BY-NC-SA
  • CC BY-SA
  • Mixed License
  • Other

If “Other” is selected, the user will be provided a space to specify the other.

Resource licenses screenshot

  1. Why do colleges need to add OER to Cool4Ed?
    1. Ed Code 78052  requires that all open educational resource materials developed using ZTC Degree Grant Program funds and used as learning materials for ZTC degrees or CTE certificates must be uploaded to the California Digital Open-Source Library (Cool4Ed).
  2. What is Cool4Ed?
    1. Cool4Ed is a platform maintained by the California State University Chancellor’s Office. Cool4Ed is a referratory (or directory) and not a repository. This means that Cool4Ed can refer users to materials, but those materials are not housed within Cool4Ed. This means that materials that you include in your submission to Cool4Ed should be accessed via a URL outside of Cool4Ed.
  3. If we do not house materials in Cool4Ed, where can we house them so that we have a URL to share?
    1. You might house your materials on your college’s website or add them to OER Commons (see the CCC Hub ), LibreTexts, Canvas Commons, etc.
  4. How do I access the ZTC upload process at Cool4Ed?
    1. On the homepage of Cool4Ed, you will see a “ZTC Uploads” button. After clicking, you will be prompted to log in with your college’s unique email address that you submitted.
  5. What should be added to Cool4Ed?
    1. You should include any openly licensed materials that you developed with ZTC Degree Grant Program funds, unless they were minor adaptations or remixes. In order to ensure the usefulness of COOL4Ed, minor modifications of existing OER (adaptations and remixes) should generally not be added to COOL4Ed. If more than 30–50% of the content (by volume or pedagogical impact) is new, restructured, or substantially changed, it is reasonable to consider it a new resource rather than a minor adaptation. OER that are adapted or remixed with minor changes should be reported to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges OER Initiative (OERI) with an overview of the changes made. Such resources will be made available by the OERI and the OERI will report this information to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Access the OER Project Update Submission Form  to report your ZTC-funded adapted and remixed OER.
  6. What should I do if we created Canvas courses?
    1. If you created courses housed in Canvas as part of your ZTC pathway work, please upload the course to Canvas Commons. Then you can select the resource link and include that in your upload form to enable other faculty to access the material(s). Please include the hashtag #CCCZTC to help others find your materials in Canvas Commons.
  7. What if I created a Canvas course using ZTC funds that I don’t want to make available in Canvas Commons? Can I just provide a link to the course within my local instance of Canvas?
    1. The purpose of adding resources to COOL4Ed is to share them. If you do not want to permit access to the entire course, you could add a version of your course to Canvas Commons that consisted only of the elements appropriate for sharing.
    2. Another option would be to make your course publicly available - allowing users to access and copy elements of it, without being able to easily download and import it in its entirety.
  8. Should I include a hashtag in the Canvas Commons description to make it easier to discover the course?
    1. Yes, including the hashtag #CCCZTC would help others to discover your materials in Canvas Commons.
  9. Will you review my college’s materials for accessibility?
    1. All instructional materials that your college creates (e.g., OER) or assigns to students (from a commercial publisher) must be formatted for accessibility. The process of sharing information about your instructional materials via Cool4Ed does not change a college’s existing responsibilities under the law.
  10. We made significant modifications to select chapters from an existing openly licensed textbook. We also created videos. How should we describe these?
    1. The upload template provides you the option to describe a resource as a textbook, chapter, workbook, lab manual, videos, and more.
  11. We expect to update and change our materials as we use them. Can we upload multiple forms over time indicating different versions of the materials?
    1. If you are providing a link to a resource that is static, you would need to either update your submission by replacing the old version and adding a new date of completion.
    2. If there is a reason to have different versions tracked in COOL4Ed, you could add a new version as a new resource.
  12. If we have developed OER as part of a ZTC Pathway, but there is development of a specific OER that wasn’t funded with ZTC Degree Grant funds, do we still submit information about this OER material to Cool4Ed?
    1. Yes, if the OER in question is part of a ZTC pathway, please submit the resource information so other colleges can find information necessary for a complete pathway. You will select “Not funded by ZTC Degree Grant Program funds” at the point of beginning the submission process.
  13. Should we include test banks and assessments?
    1. Yes, you should include information about test banks and assessments. Of course, we want to provide a way for you to do this securely, as a safeguard to protect the assessment from being found by students, AI searches, etc.
    2. If you select “assessment” as the type of resource, then you will be prompted to either provide an email contact or a URL.
    3. You do not need to make these materials publicly available. CA Ed Code 78052  states: “Testing and assessment materials posted online pursuant to this paragraph shall be safeguarded to maintain the integrity of those materials. This paragraph shall not be construed to prohibit faculty from providing sample test and assessment materials to students.”
  14. Can I search for all resources associated with a given pathway? For example, can I search for psychology and find all the resources that comprise a psychology pathway?
    1. No, this functionality is not available.
  15. Can I find in this database all the resources that colleges use to create ZTC pathways?
    1. While most of the resources that colleges use to create ZTC pathways are OER, not all of them are. Resources such as library databases might not be openly licensed and thus cannot be shared in this database.