The VitalSource Resource

 Digital course materials are more robust, interactive, and valuable than many realize. Research shows that 60% of students feel that digital learning technology—like Bookshelf®, the world’s leading digital content platform—has improved their grades. Additionally, 88% believe they get better grades with interactive content vs. print.

But to maximize the impact of these tools, it takes an instructor who is comfortable teaching with digital. One way to achieve this is to learn from other instructors like Hannah Mullis, Adjunct Instructor of Communication at William Peace University.

This op-ed was originally published on eCampus News on June 13, 2018.

There is a pervasive villain that strikes at the very heart of higher education. Its wound is painless yet powerful; victims don’t even know their academic life has been crippled until it’s too late. 

Higher education in the United Kingdom is changing, and a number of factors are contributing to this. The steady rise in tuition fees means that students are beginning to view university in a different light. Gone are the days when higher education institutions are simply viewed as “cathedrals of learning.” Instead, modern students have an increasingly transactional view of university. Student satisfaction and value for money is high on their agenda, and moves are being made by industry bodies in order to evaluate both these areas for prospective students.

After the spring back-to-school rush, our friends in the independent campus store industry come together for two key conferences, the Independent Collegiate Bookstore Association annual meeting (ICBA) and the National Association of College Stores Campus Market Expo (CAMEX). At these conferences, store leaders and staff learn from industry thought leaders, and each other, and discover new tools to help their stores contribute to the mission of their institutions.

While there’s plenty of cool “front of the store” merchandise on display at ICBA and CAMEX--one can acquire a collegiate branded spatula, or team spirit cowboy boots--the store leaders we work with are focused on something more critical than game-day attire. For the campus store folks focused on course materials, the mission is improving affordability and student outcomes. Increasingly, college stores are the driving force behind lowering the costs of course materials. While their per-unit margins may be shrinking, campus stores are stronger and more valuable to their institutions than ever before.

Across the nation, a growing number of colleges and universities are looking for innovative solutions that can help lower costs and raise student achievement.

One of the many challenges in higher education is the cost of course materials and textbooks. Print textbook costs have risen 82 percent over the last decade – that’s more than three times the rate of inflation. These high costs have led a growing number of students to delay or avoid purchasing required course materials, even though they know their grades will suffer as a result.