The VitalSource Resource

What do you get when you combine a declining retail footprint, reduced retail margin on thousands of materials, and lower prices? Would you believe the answer is more affordable textbooks and a thriving course materials business? That’s exactly what Kurt Kaiser and the team at the Colorado State University (CSU) Bookstore are experiencing. Their work to save students over $6 million in 2018 has captured lots of attention, including The Rocky Mountain Collegian and CTV 11, the CSU campus TV network.

I recently sat down with Kurt Kaiser, textbook manager at CSU, to talk about his store’s work to improve affordability and drive day-one access to learning materials.

 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. 

Nearly all college students, 92 percent to be exact, believe that digital textbooks have advantages over traditional textbooks, but studies find that faculty are more reluctant than their students to transition to digital. To meet these needs, faculty must learn to integrate digital into the classroom—but many don’t know where to start or how best to use the available tools.

The Washington Post recently explored the revolution in college course materials in an article published on April 14, 2018. The article investigated questions about cost, fairness, and access for students as they grapple with high prices and adapt to changing technologies.