A collection of submissions to the KPU Student Voices writing competition. This writing competition is centred around Open Education, the rising costs of textbooks and student access to course materials. Read about the impact that our KPU Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) courses have had on students.

WRITE & SHINE 

We want to know the impact that our KPU Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) courses have had on you!

Recommended writing prompts:

  • The difference between using free online material (such as Open Educational Resources - OERs) and paid textbooks

    • the features in the OER that were helpful

    • what gets in your way with conventional or paid learning materials

  • Your experience taking a course with Zero Textbook Costs

    • how your learning was supported

    • how access to the textbook affected your engagement with course materials

Feel free to include as many of the above topics as you wish. Let your creativity flow!

Competition Details

 

Eligibility

To enter this writing competition, you must:

  • be a current KPU student
  • have taken a  KPU course that did not require you to purchase a textbook (a Zero Textbook Cost course)
  • consent to publishing your submission under a Creative Commons license

 

Submission Guidelines

We strongly recommend that you write concisely and stick to the following guidelines:

  • 300-500 words (not including Title, your name, course and instructor info)
  • include a cover page that has: Title, Your Name, Name and Semester of the ZTC Course that you are writing about, and the name of instructor who taught that course.
  • 12pt Times New Roman, double spaced, Word Document

 

How to Submit

Detailed instructions on how to register and make a submission can be found at Learning Open Journal Systems Authoring

*Make sure you complete all five steps of the submission process*

 

Prizes

All participants will get a certificate of participation. The following prizes are available to the top 4 submissions, selected by committee:

  • First place: $300 tuition waiver, KPU Open Champion water bottle
  • Second place: $100 KPU Bookstore gift card, KPU Open Champion water bottle
  • Third place winners: one will receive a $50 Tim Hortons gift card; one will receive a $50 Amazon gift card

 Entries will be published under an open license and can be added to your CV or portfolio.

 

Deadline

February 29th, 2024

For any questions or concerns, kindly email us at open@kpu.ca