The VitalSource Resource

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.

VitalSource commissioned Shift Learning to conduct research with current students in the United Kingdom to explore the perceived impact of eTextbooks on students’ learning outcomes and confidence. The research sought to understand usage of eTextbooks, in addition to the benefits and challenges for different groups of students.

Designing courses can be a challenge, especially for an online environment. There are many tasks involved, such as defining competencies, identifying appropriate content, creating effective learning activities, and distributing the course. After students take the course, you may be left wondering, was this course effective? For students, taking an online course can be challenging as well. Students can be overwhelmed by learning different platforms, finding the assigned content, and interacting with faculty and peers. There is no magic bullet. Or is there?