1 IU’s eText program
A pioneer in digital course materials
Since 2011, Indiana University’s innovative eText program has reduced the cost of required course materials by nearly $70 million off retail price for IU students, making college more affordable for tens of thousands of Hoosiers across the state. The program allows students and faculty members to access digital course materials anytime, anywhere, and with any device.
In fact, we’re so well known for this program, in 2018 we wrote the book on it when we published the free e-book “eTexts 101: A Practical Guide,” sharing lessons learned and processes with the higher education community.
IU eTexts are more than simply digital versions of paper textbooks. Today, IU eTexts encompasses a full range of digital learning tools and courseware, including games, simulations, and video feedback tools.
The Unizin Engage e-reading platform, which powers IU eTexts, integrates with the Canvas learning management system, making it easy to access course materials with almost any device.
The value of eTexts became even more clear when the COVID-19 pandemic forced classes to move online. As IU moved into a distance-learning scenario, the eTexts team reached out to faculty about using them as they prepared for challenging upcoming semesters. Faculty responded well and increased the use of engaging digital resources in courses, which helped keep students on track to earning degrees.
Unizin: Getting good data on digital content
In 2014, IU co-founded the Unizin Consortium, a group of research institutions dedicated to enhancing learner success with digital technology. By focusing on content, learning environment platforms, and data, Unizin is helping faculty pinpoint what works, and what doesn’t, in digital course content.
In fact, Unizin’s data platform and learning analytics systems are being put to work in the “Mega-Study of COVID-19 Impact in Higher Education,” led by IU’s Ben Motz, director of the eLearning Research and Practice Lab in collaboration with Unizin and The Ohio State University.
The mega-study seeks to understand how the transition to remote instruction early in the pandemic affected the learning environment at a massive scale, and how the transition and its impacts might differ for different students and faculty.