The practice of faculty relying on bundled textbooks and, specifically, access-code materials to provide course problem sets, quizzes, tests and case studies, has wreaked havoc with student efforts to find cheaper textbook alternatives. According to a new report from the Student PIRGs, among a sample group of schools, 45 percent of these supplemental resources were unavailable from any source other than the campus bookstore. As the report's authors noted, the use of those bundles, which exist behind paywalls, eliminates the ability of students to "shop around," which means they're "forced to pay full price for these materials." They also can't resell their textbooks because the access codes typically have expiration dates.
Ed tech company Knewton has launched a collection of digital courseware that integrates its adaptive technology with open education resources, with the intention of selling directly to instructors and students. Previously, the company licensed its adaptive functionality to textbook publishers for integration with their course content. Under the new strategy, the company noted, it could own "all aspects of the user experience" and "make a greater impact on outcomes and affordability." Each title in the new line costs $44 for two years of digital access.
What education technologies and trends will have the most impact in the coming year? We asked four higher ed IT leaders for their take.
Slowing the pace of education technology work makes projects more sustainable, gives people a chance to connect, allows for more meaningful conversations and helps prevent burnout.
A whopping 94 percent of students in a recent survey said they want to use their cell phones in class for academic purposes.
This fall, three colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System adopted digital courseware from Barnes & Noble Education to provide students with a low-cost alternative to traditional textbooks.
Cengage today introduced Cengage Unlimited, a subscription plan that provides unlimited access to the company's digital course materials for a fixed per-semester price.
Founded in 2014 by Colorado State University, Indiana University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Florida, Unizin is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to improving the learning experience with technology and creating a common, interoperable infrastructure for education.
Rice University's OpenStax textbooks are now being made available through digital access programs from VitalSource and RedShelf at bookstores run by Follett and Barnes & Noble Education.
Fifty-three percent of students in a recent survey said they prefer classes that use digital learning tools, according to a new report from McGraw-Hill Education.
