ALEX Institute / Foundation
Free content solves the price problem. People solve the completion problem. The Institute is built on both.
Definitions
| ZTC (Zero Textbook Cost) | OER (Open Educational Resources) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A class with $0 in required materials | Materials anyone may access, use, adapt and share at no cost (UNESCO, 2019) |
| Cost to the learner | $0 | $0 |
| Learner keeps it permanently | Not always | Yes |
| Others may adapt and share it | Not always | Yes, with attribution |
| Where the Institute applies it | Every class, including exams and certificates | Everything the Institute creates |
The 5Rs
| Right | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Retain | Keep your own copy |
| Reuse | Use it in a class, group or video |
| Revise | Adapt or translate it |
| Remix | Combine it with other open work |
| Redistribute | Share the original or your version |
Framework: David Wiley, opencontent.org.
Labels
A free course from a named provider, used exactly as published. You enroll with the provider at no cost, credential included. The Institute changes nothing and adds only its own open guides around it.
Openly licensed material the Institute may adapt, translate and share under its license. Institute-created material is released under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0 when adapted from share-alike sources).
The inclusion rule: a class is offered only if a learner can finish it and earn its credential without paying anything, anywhere. A class that charges for an exam, credential or certificate is removed, however free its lessons.
Evidence
Open materials work at least as well as commercial ones, and one large study found higher grades and fewer withdrawals, with the biggest gains for Pell-eligible and part-time students (Colvard, Watson & Park, 2018; 21,822 students). The research does not show that open content alone raises completion. That is the gap the Institute's volunteers fill.
Standards
Sources and partners: UNESCO OER Recommendation (2019); Commonwealth of Learning; Open Education Global; CCCOER; Open Textbook Library; OpenStax; MIT OpenCourseWare; LibreTexts; BCcampus; eCampusOntario; RELPE; TEMOA.