eTexts to lower textbook costs

It happens to many college students. They work all summer to save some money for the school year and blow a large portion of their hard-earned cash on textbooks for courses.

IU students are no exception.

After two years of pilot testing, eTexts, or academic materials produced digitally, will be implemented at IU.

The burden of the cost of textbooks was a major factor in IU’s recent partnership with the Indiana-based company Courseload, which will provide the software for eTexts, and the University’s agreements with several publishers.

“IU’s focus was really two-fold,” said Michael Barton, Courseload director of university partnerships. “One, to reduce the cost of education for students by dramatically reducing the price of textbooks. The second part is how can you use digital tools within eTexts to help improve learning outcomes.”

He said IU’s agreements with publishers can potentially bring the price of content down 60 to 70 percent from the list price, and much of the time, eTexts will be cheaper than a used book.

Brad Wheeler, vice president of information technology and Kelley School of Business professor, said IU will not require faculty to use eTexts. It is a choice they can make for their specific needs in a course.

“If the faculty looks at it and they don’t find it compelling, then everything is still okay,” Wheeler said. “This is not a forced change.”

The eTexts will provide students with several options and adaptations, depending on the publishers and faculty members, all in one place, Barton said.
 
“It’s much easier for everyone to be able to manage, when you have everything in one source,” he said. “We just want to make it as simple as possible and use the same set of tools across that content, which is what we are providing to students.”

Faculty will have the option to use content directly from a textbook source or original content if they choose, Barton said.

“I think that’s the biggest difference between us and our competitors,” he said. “We truly are content agnostic. It doesn’t matter to us if you want to use a textbook or if an instructor wants to use material gathered over the past few years.” 

The eTexts also allow students to annotate, highlight, write margin notes and ask questions to their professors, Wheeler said. Some include interactive learning as well.
All are compatible with different Web browsers and can be used on different portable devices, such as iPhones and tablets, he said.

Unlike other digital alternatives, eTexts will allow students access as long as they are enrolled at IU, and will give them the option to print the text prior to graduation, he said. 

“When people look at that, they’re just really amazed,” Wheeler said.

They are an option for faculty use during the spring semester, he said. Students will be informed if the classes they are registering for are using eTexts and the fees involved will be billed to their bursar accounts.

“We’re at a place where we can continue to shape the software that we use that works with Courseload and the economics of it,” Wheeler said. “It’s a very exciting time, especially up front in creating these options.”