UITS began planning and developing the later IU eTexts in 2009 with four goals: to provide affordable materials for students, to give teachers access to high quality materials, to develop new teaching and learning tools and to shape the conditions of eTexts models.
It became official in 2011 with an agreement with publishers that lowered the cost of accessing digital versions of printed textbooks. Over the next decade, the IU eTexts initiative grew to become a national leader in digital teaching materials, saving students over $ 69 million on textbook retail prices in the process.
“The success of the IU eTexts program has exceeded our expectations,” said Anastasia “Stacy” Morrone, deputy chief information officer and interim dean of the IU Bloomington School of Education. “In addition to saving millions of dollars on students, faculty and students have access to high-quality, low-cost digital course materials that enable deeper engagement and learning.”
More than digital books
IU eTexts are more than just digital versions of textbooks in paper form, although that is how the initiative was originally designed. Today, IU eTexts includes a full range of digital learning tools and course materials, including games, simulations and video feedback tools.
The Unizin Engage e-reading platform, which powers IU eTexts, is built into the Canvas learning management system so you can easily access course materials from almost any device.
This accessibility is key to supporting the initiative for greater academic success, said Mark Goodner, senior business analyst and faculty advisor, IU eTexts. Since the fees for IU eTexts can be covered by financial support, the students can start the semester with their teaching materials and less stress on costs.
“Giving all students a substantial and equal discount enhances the teaching and learning experience by preparing a well-prepared learning community for ultimate success,” said Goodner.
The possibility for students and teachers to work collaboratively in the Engage e-reader is also important. Students are able to highlight, highlight, and take notes on the text; Faculties can incorporate multimedia materials directly into their courses, incorporate links and annotations, and use real-time analytics to evaluate their teaching methods.
“When students are engaged, it correlates with academic achievement, satisfaction, and retention,” Goodner said.
A pandemic-perfect platform
The value of eTexts became crystal clear when the COVID-19 pandemic forced classes to go online. When the IU moved into distance learning, the eTexts team, housed in the Office of Digital Education Programs and Initiatives at UITS, reached out to the faculty to use these materials in preparation for the upcoming semesters.
“The pandemic has had both emotional and financial implications for our students,” said Julie Johnston, vice president of UITS Learning Technologies. “We have encouraged the faculty to respond to these needs by using IU eTexts to save costs and access them anytime, anywhere.”
