EDUVISA Graduate School of Management has introduced an Open Educational Resources (OER), or colloquially known as a Zero-textbook cost (ZTC) programme. This constitutes a comprehensive academic trajectory towards the attainment of a degree, certificate, or credential, devoid of any associated textbook expenses. Within these academic pathways, all courses exclusively utilize open curriculum-mapped educational resources (OER) or alternative instructional materials that incur zero costs for students. This can result in a notable reduction of up to 35% in the overall cost of studies. 

Open Educational Resources (OER) study programmes epitomize institutional dedication to substantial investment in open education as a facilitative tool for fostering student success. The advantages extend beyond financial savings for students and encompass the following key dimensions:

• Affordable, Accessible and Accredited Studies:  The introduction of the OER programme supports the underlining philosophy of EDUVISA to make university-level management studies more affordable and accessible without compromising on international benchmark accreditation status. In practical terms this means that students are provided with publisher-based textbook options as well as online access to supportive study manuals and secondary study resources enabling them to succeed in their studies without the additional burden of high textbook costs. 

• Enhancement of Student Equity:  Empirical research demonstrates that exorbitant textbook costs detrimentally affect student accessibility, achievement, and completion, especially among economically disadvantaged students. Elevated textbook expenses often compel students to curtail their course loads, withdraw from classes, or attempt to navigate academic requirements without acquiring the necessary textbooks, resulting in suboptimal academic performance. This approach, in combination with the traditional publisher-based textbook approach, increases access to subject content to the benefit of our students. 

• Facilitation of Student Completion:  Students enrolled in OER courses exhibit an increased propensity to enrol in a greater number of credits during a given semester and at least one subsequent semester. This trend suggests that OER implementation contributes to an accelerated completion of degree or certificate programs.

• Advancement of Academic Freedom:  The utilization of OER, characterized by open licenses, affords faculty members the liberty to regularly modify, update, and adapt learning resources for their respective courses. This departure from the constraints imposed by expensive publisher textbooks allows faculty to harness diverse OERs, remixing them to align with specific learning outcomes.

• Fostering Open Pedagogy:  Faculty members are empowered to engage students in the collaborative modification and revision of OER used within a course. This participatory approach includes activities such as revising materials, generating test questions, and creating learning resources for future cohorts. The integration of students as content creators not only deepens their comprehension but also contributes to improved educational outcomes.