How Professor Simantini Teaches Science with Zero Textbook Costs Using Labster and OpenStax

“Professor, do I need this edition? Can I buy a previous edition? It’s half the price”. Each semester, students changed, but the question did not. As a human physiology professor, early in my teaching career, I chose an expensive textbook as a required textbook for the course just because that was the academic norm. Now, I teach using Labster and Openstax, which makes the course zero textbook cost (ZTC). 

This article includes the rationale behind the change, the process of selecting ZTC, and the possible next steps.        

Why use ZTC in science education? 

Textbook costs are one of the significant reasons for students dropping out of a course or degree program. Generally, a physiology textbook can cost $100-150. Given the current minimum wage, that cost means 10-20 hours of work to get a textbook. The math hit me hard – to be successful in a 51-lecture-hour course, students had to put in an additional 20 hours of work for a textbook. Using ZTC seemed the next right thing to do. 

When it came to ZTC labs, I had reservations. In-person labs were fun! Breaking slides, spilling liquids, upset lab managers, and hard-earned grades are the forces that shape students’ raw enthusiasm into professional skills. I was not in strong favor of online labs. But the pandemic prompted us to think differently, and we all opened to the idea of free online labs. 

Non-traditional students, who earlier could not attend labs due to commuting challenges or childcare problems, were suddenly signing up for courses with labs during the pandemic. Instead of traditional pre-med students, people from various professions such as trapeze artists, animators, and ‘YouTubers’ signed up for the course to learn more about the human body. Free online labs became a necessity.      

What was the process of choosing ZTC? 

The process of selecting ZTC was collaborative, iterative, and fulfilling. The initial challenge was to align open educational resources to the course outline and student learning objectives. Luckily, the LibreText platform helped edit the OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology textbook. After the draft was reviewed by other subject matter experts, accessibility specialists, and colleagues, it was used as a required text during a summer semester for a smaller cohort. After incorporating feedback from students, the textbook is now widely used.

The next step was to choose labs that aligned with the coursework. During the pandemic, Labster was free of cost to all California Community College students. The labs were engaging and appropriate for the coursework. Yet, it was not an easy transition as we were dealing with the stress of the pandemic and working from home. However, the Labster team provided technological support to make it work. 

How have OpenStax and Labster changed teaching? 

The modified OpenStax textbook aligns with the course syllabus, and hence, students find it easy to use. Following the California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative (CVC-OEI) rubric, I link weekly readings in the module on the Learning Management System (LMS). Most students report that chapters are easy to find and easy to read. 

The e-textbook facilitates the preparation for the exam. I encourage students to use the glossary to review the crucial concepts from the chapter. The end-of-chapter questions help them to recall the concepts learned. Also, given that the e-textbook is free, non-traditional students juggling their family responsibilities with education can focus on intellectual challenges such as exams.

Using Labster, students can do the lab simulation multiple times. However, since most students want to be efficient with time, I advise them to take good notes while they do the lab for the first time. These notes can help in reviewing concepts for the lab exams. Labster integration with LMS ensures that all the grades (lecture and lab) are available in LMS. Additionally, the instructor can see statistics such as the number of attempts and scores for each attempt on the Labster dashboard when necessary.  

View the Labster and OpenStax Alignment Guide and discover how Labster simulations can align with each OpenStax textbook.

What’s next? 

OpenStax and Labster have introduced new features more rapidly than I can keep pace with. The images in OpenStax have become more inclusive ensuring diverse representation, and I need to use them in the edited version of the textbook. Additionally, I need to review the OER Commons Hub Resources for instructors as they are updated. 

Labster labs are becoming more user-friendly day by day. (Well… they still have that “Loading will stop if you jump to another tab” message! ☺) But overall, the simulations are glitch-free and easy to run. Labster has added several new tools, such as lab reports and custom quizzes to set up a lab review. I hope to align them with the student learning outcomes and course objectives. 

In a nutshell, developing a course that used ZTC resources was a rewarding experience as an educator. Science education, especially physiology education, need not be limited to a few privileged people but be available to everyone. Now that I see students from various walks of life taking physiology courses, I appreciate the change that OpenStax and Labster have brought into higher education.