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Course Material Definitions and Comparison Table
Table Comparing Course Material Options
| Resource | Overview | Format | Copyrighted? | Cost to Students? | Cost to UW-Superior? | Where to Find Them | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic Textbook Billing |
A textbook billing model that shifts the cost of textbooks to tuition. Students may opt out. Follett's Inclusive Access program falls under this category. "Inclusive" in this context means the cost is included in tuition. |
Digital | Yes | Yes | No | Integrated in a Canvas course or on Follett's website | Courses that use Inclusive Access will be marked on the Class Schedule. Please contact the UW-Superior Bookstore for more information. |
| Traditional Textbooks | Traditional textbooks can range from used, $10 paperbacks to $300 online textbooks with access codes. | Digital, print | Yes | Yes | No | UW-Superior Bookstore, online stores |
Human Biology from McGraw-Hill, Principles of Supply Chain Management from Cengage |
| Library Materials | Library materials are paid for with library funds but have no additional cost to students. | Digital, print | Yes | No | Yes | Jim Dan Hill Library | Labor and Legality, available in the Library's collection and on course reserve. |
| Open Access Research | Open access research is academic research that has been distributed online, is free of charge to view ("open access"), and sometimes has a Creative Commons (CC) license. | Digital | Yes, sometimes with permissions | No | No | Online | JACEP Open, an open access journal that requires its authors to publish with a CC BY, CC BY-NC, or CC BY-NC-ND license |
| Open Educational Resources (OER) | OER are learning materials that have been distributed online, are free of charge, and have CC licenses. | Digital, can choose to print | Yes, with permissions | No | No | Online repositories | Strategic Management, an open textbook with a CC license (CC BY-NC SA), Anatomy & Physiology, an open textbook with a CC license (CC BY) |
| Public Domain | Materials in the Public Domain are not protected by Copyright Law. | Digital, print | No | No | No | Online, Jim Dan Hill Library |
The Great Gatsby, whose Copyright expired in 2021 |
Other Course Markings Definitions
You may also notice course markings for Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) and Low Textbook Cost (LTC) materials. Please note that not all sections of a course may use the same course materials.
- Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC): This course uses open textbooks, library-licensed materials, and digitally available materials that are free to students. These course materials are free for students but may have an institutional cost associated with them through segregated fees.
- Low Textbook Cost (LTC): This course uses textbooks and other course materials that cost $30 or less. This value represents 4x the federal minimum wage, and 3x the hourly work study student worker wage at UW-Madison. Cost refers to the price of a new copy at the campus bookstore, as prices vary across outside vendors, and there may not be enough used copies for all students.
- Course Materials: Course materials in this class that are included in the zero textbook cost and low textbook cost designation include textbooks, journal articles, documents, eBooks, websites, software programs, apps, courseware packages, and access codes to homework platforms. Textbooks purchased through an Automatic Textbook Billing program, such as Follett's Inclusive Access program, are also included in this definition.
Items that are not included in these designations are tools and supplies associated with lab courses (e.g., goggles, calculators, etc.) or art courses (e.g., paints, pencils, paper, etc.) and standard school supplies. Additionally, ancillary fees associated with lab courses and distance learning courses are not included in the course designations.
Need Help?
For more information, please contact the Jim Dan Hill Library at askref@uwsuper.edu.
License
This table has a CC BY 4.0 license, which allows others to share and adapt the material with attribution and was created by the Markwood Center for Learning, Innovation & Collaboration's (CLIC) Open Educational Resources (OER) Committee at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.