Dive Summary:
- When textbook publishers first detected the market was going digital, they wanted to build exclusive platforms for their content; Indiana University (IU) CIO Brad Wheeler says that would have been a "nightmare" and set up a wholesale, site-license model similar to the deals IU made with Microsoft in 1998 and Adobe in 2008.
- While publishers first had doubts about the model, Wheeler has since signed e-text deals with four of the five biggest textbook publishers and is working on the fifth.
- IU's e-text pilot program is in its third semester, has 10,000 student users over 250 course sections and has saved the university an estimated $200,000.
- IU's e-texts are managed by Courseload, which enables educators to customize texts with supplementary media and allows students to annotate and share.
From the article:
"... Asked what comes next for IU, Wheeler was quick to answer. 'We've improved the economics [of textbooks] ... Now, how do we improve the efficacy of teaching?'
He said this next phase will involve analysis of how students use digital content, and how this relates to educational outcomes. ..."
