Welcome to the College of San Mateo Spring 2026 OER/ZTC Professional Development guide. Please find details related to dedicated time, descriptions, deliverables, and more. Information regarding timesheets (for relevant PD opportunities) is at the bottom of the page. Return to this page for any updates and details on our OER/ZTC Fall PD!
2 hours
Self-enroll & Self-guided
SMCCD Canvas credentials to access Copyright in Education
Training amount funded: 2 hours at Special Rate
Description & Required Deliverable: This microcourse is intended to provide an initial, exploratory approach to the copyright landscape. After completing this microcourse, you will be able to identify basic considerations and guidelines of copyright in education and determine how to adequately share a sample of instructional materials in your course or project, applying fair use factors and best practices for sharing. Complete Sharing your Instructional Materials & Resources task in Canvas to obtain digital badge.
2 hours
Self-enroll & Self-guided
SMCCD Canvas credentials to access The Path to Zero Textbook Cost
Training amount funded: 2 hours at Special Rate
Description & Required Deliverable: This microcourse is intended to provide an initial exploration of the path to ZTC. After completing this microcourse, you will be able to describe key criteria of a ZTC course and explain the benefits of using ZTC materials for both students and instructors and identify multiple methods to obtain ZTC materials for your classes. Complete Take Steps toward ZTC task in Canvas to obtain digital badge.
2 hours
Self-enroll & Self-guided
SMCCD Canvas credentials to access Accessibility Basics with PopeTech
Training amount funded: 2 hours at Special Rate
Description & Required Deliverable: Digital accessibility strives for inclusive design that allows anyone to use, engage with, and enjoy digital content regardless of the level of ability, condition, or circumstances. We want all students, including those with visual, cognitive, physical, and auditory disabilities to have access to materials, so they can fully engage and thrive in our courses. This microcourse will familiarize you with using the Pope Tech tools to check the overall accessibility of your course and address common accessibility issues in one module of your course.
10 hours
Self-enroll & Self-guided
CCC or @ONE Canvas credentials to access OERI - Basics
Training amount funded: 10 hours at Special Rate
Description & Required Deliverable: This course serves as an introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER), providing faculty with new options for selecting textbooks and other resources so they can make the best decisions for their students. At the end of this course successful participants will be able to:
Properly identify the Creative Commons (CC) license on a resource and describe how this resource can and cannot be used.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of open resources using current research in the field as evidence.
Research, analyze, and review repositories of open resources.
Effectively search for open resources and post reviews in an OER repository.
Create an open resource by remixing multiple existing resources and designate a license to this new resource based on the licenses of multiple resources use.
Successful completion of 6 formative and summative quizzes will activate your digital course badge.
10 hours
Self-enroll & Self-guided
CCC or @ONE Canvas credentials to access OERI - Accessibility
Training amount funded: 10 hours at Special Rate
Description & Required Deliverable: The ASCCC OER Initiative has integrated accessibility training into much of its work as today's faculty member is certain to be interacting with students in a digital environment. Our focus here is on the creation of accessible online content, regardless of the platform you are working in. This course was designed with two compatible goals. It is intended to:
introduce all faculty to the basics of developing accessible content and
provide faculty who will be developing and/or curating open educational resources (OER) with an understanding of accessibility basics.
Successful completion of 5 formative and summative quizzes will activate your digital course badge.
10 hours
Self-enroll & Self-guided
SMCCD Canvas credentials to access ZTC Pathways - OER & Equity
Training amount funded: 10 hours at Special Rate
Description & Required Deliverable: This self-guided course explores the fundamental connections between equity, Open Educational Resources (OER), Guided Pathways (GP), and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) pathways. Successful completion of 4 unit quizzes before you are sent completion certificate or digital badge.
10 hours
Registration & self-guided by the CCC Technology Center (starts at the top of each month)
CCC Canvas credentials
Training amount funded: 12 hours at Special Rate
Description & Required Deliverable: This self-guided course explores creating, evaluating, and optimizing, accessible Word, PowerPoint, PDFs, and Excel documents. Successful completion of 4 unit quizzes before you are sent completion certificate or digital badge. Please note that Module 5 (Excel) is a bonus module.
In order to be paid for your professional development participation, you must complete trainings by Friday, April 17th. We will reach out to you to initiate timesheets the week of April 20th for the payment to show on the paycheck you receive at the end of May. Please contact Jennifer Howze-Owens, ZTC Support, with questions (howzeowensj@smccd.edu).