eText Symposium
Date: March 22nd
Time: 9:00am ending at 3:00pm
Location: Surry Community College in Dobson, NC
Lunch will be provided
Deadline to register is March 11, 2013.
eText Symposium Purpose:
- System-wide event to inform campuses of issues related to eText implementation.
- Address specific service and program implementation items.
- Presentations by colleges participating in the pilot share their experience and expertise related to campus implementation.
- Provide information to key areas affected by campus implementation.
Who Should Attend: Up to eight (8) participants from each college. All colleges are invited and encouraged to participate if considering campus implementation.
- College presidents
- Chief Academic Officers
- Academic Deans/Coordinators
- Registrars/Enrollment Management representative
- Business office representative that handles tuition or textbook charges
- Distance learning administrator
- Bookstore representative
- Library representative
Adaptive Learning Digital Text: A comparison study is being conducted to assess the differences between traditional eText content and eReaders with new adaptive learning eText environments. Adapt Courseware and McGraw-Hill’s LearnSmart were reviewed for the study. General psychology (PSY 150) content was chosen for the study. Demonstrations of the content and functionality of each adaptive learning environment was provided to colleges interested in participating in the study. Due to the cost associated with the PSY 150 text the LearnSmart platform was chosen by all four participating colleges: Bladen Community College, Blue Ridge Community College, Guilford Technical Community College and Mitchell Community College.
Results of the adaptive learning study will be included in the eText pilot findings and made available to colleges in June, 2013.
Hotel Recommendations for the eText Symposium
Both room blocks for the e-text symposium on March 22 here at Surry are for the night of Thursday, March 21. The rooms booked at the Dobson, Hampton Inn will be $84.00 plus 13% tax. The rooms booked at the Mt. Airy, Hampton Inn will be $79.30 plus 13% tax (participants can use the following confirmation number for Mt. Airy hotel to receive the discounted rate: 84061724).
Check In: 3:00 pm
Check Out: 11:00 am
Book your room before March 1, 2013.
eText Report- January 2013
SAVE THE DATE: eText Symposium: A system-wide event will be held on March 22nd at Surry Community College in Dobson, NC. The symposium will begin at 9:00am ending at 3:00pm. Lunch will be provided. All colleges will be invited to participate. All presidents are invited to attend. Each college can bring up to six (6) participants including members from the business office, bookstore, library, CAO, and distance learning office.
Breakout sessions will be held to address specific service and program items. Presentations from the colleges participating in the pilot will provide details on best practices, handling business processes and instructional change. Additional details will be forthcoming.
A NCCCS Virtual Learning Community (VLC) group, under the direction of the NCCCS Executive Director of eLearning and Learning Technology Systems, is tasked with collecting, organizing, and compressing information for the colleges so there will be a plan for eText implementation (working toward a NCCCS eText RFP).
- Final eText Pilot results will be provided to all colleges in June, 2013.
- System office RFP process will begin in June, 2013.
Main items for eText implementation consideration:
- Cost Comparison Summary - The average cost comparison across all eight pilot colleges showed a 47% cost savings in purchasing an eTextbook versus purchasing a new hardback textbook. This does not reflect the comparison between used or rental hardback textbooks and eTextbooks. The pilot is currently assessing these items.
- Accessibility – Currently the eText readers (eReader) nor the content meets accessibility requirements. Textbook publishers and eReader providers are currently working to meet Daisy ePub version 3 standards.
- Material Availability – Currently textbook publishers do not own the digital rights for many of the text that are being used by NCCCS colleges. A PDF file is the main digital version available. This version does not allow for interactive eReader functionality. Also instructor versions of the text and materials are not available in an eText version.
- Business Process Changes –There are various business processes related to pricing, bookstore and payment processes depending on the eReader vendor and textbook publisher you've chosen.
- Colleague Changes – Colleges may want to consider how to inform students that a course is using eText. Currently the area in Colleague that allows you to post this type of information is not easily viewable by students. A request has been submitted to the system office to consider adding a field within Colleague.
- Technology – Brower and device compatibility issues need to be clearly communicated to students in order to make informed decisions concerning requirements for participating in an eText course.
Status:
Pilot Colleges for fall 2012 included Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Robeson Community College, South Piedmont Community College, and Wilkes Community College.
- Fifteen (15) courses were designated by the colleges ranging in a variety of program areas for the pilot.
Pilot Colleges for spring 2013 include Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Catawba Valley Community College, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Robeson Community College, South Piedmont Community College, Southwestern Community College, Surry Community College, and Wilkes Community College.
- Twenty-seven (27) courses will be included in the spring pilot.
Pilot Courses- Fall 2012:
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
- NMT 212, Nuclear Medicine, Courseload with 11 students
- NMT 215, Nuclear Medicine, Vitalsource with 11 students
Fayetteville Technical Community College (Vitalsource)
- EDU 284, Early Child Capstone Practice (2 sections)
Robeson Community College (Coursesmart)
- REL 110, World Religion
- NOS 130, Windows Single User
- EDU 259, Curriculum Planning
- MAT 151, Statistics
- ENG 112, Argument‐Based Research
South Piedmont Community College
- ART 111, Art Appreciation-Online with 25 students
- BIO 165, Anatomy and Physiology I with 21 students
- BIO 165, Anatomy and Physiology I with 16 students
Wilkes Community College
- Nursing 111, Intro to Health Concepts- Seated, Vitalsource with 26 students
- Religion 110, World Religions, Coursesmart
Pilot Courses- Spring 2013:
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
- NMT 222, Proc for Nuclear Med II, Courseload with 11 students
- NMT 225, Imaging Instrumentation, Vitalsource with 11 students
- COM 231, Public Speaking- Hybrid
Catawba Valley Community College (Coursesmart)
- ENG 112, Argument-Based Research with 12 students
- SOC 220, Social Problems with 24 students
Fayetteville Technical Community College
- CJC 112, Criminology
- CJC 141, Corrections
- EDU 284, Early Child Capstone Practice
- EDU 285, Internship Exp-School Age
- ENG 114, Intro to Family Childcare
Robeson Community College (Courseload)
- ENG 111, Expository Writing
- EDU 146, Child Guidance
- REL 110, World Religions
- NOS 230, Windows Admin I
South Piedmont Community College
- BIO 166, Anatomy and Physiology II
- ART 111, Art Appreciation
- ENG 113, Literature-Based Research
Southwestern Community College (Café Scribe)
- SEC 110, Security Concepts
- CIS 110, Introduction to Computers
- BUS 260, Business Communication
- WEB 110, Cutting Processes
Surry Community College
- CSC 153, C# Programming- Online, Vitalsource
- EDU 146, Child Guidance- Seated, Courseload
- SOC 210, Introduction to Sociology- Seated, Courseload
- MAT 140, Survey of Mathematics- Seated, Courseload
Wilkes Community College
- Nursing 111, Intro to Health Concepts- Seated, Vitalsource
- PSY 150, General Psychology- Seated, Vitalsource
Cost Comparison:
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute- Fall 2012
| Course | Book | Author | Publisher | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
NMT 212 | Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT Technology and Techniques, 7th | Paul E. Christian and Kristen Waterstram-Rich | Mosby | $144.00 | $116.00 | 20% |
NMT 215 | Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation, 2nd | Jennifer Prekeges | Jones & Bartlett | $103.75 | $74.95 | 28% |
Catawba Valley Community College- Spring 2013
| Course | Book | Author | Publisher | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
ENG 112 | GOOD REASONS with Contemporary Arguments, 5th | Faigley & Selzer | Longman Pearson | $89.00 | $60.00 | 33% |
SOC 220 | Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 6th | Diana Kendall | Pearson | $118.00 | $60.00 | 49% |
Fayetteville Technical Community College- Spring 2013
| Course | Book | Author | Publisher | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
CJC 112 | Criminology Today, 6th | Schmalleger | Pearson | $163.60 | $73.62 | 55% |
CJC 141 | Corrections: The Essentials | Stohr & Walsh | Sage | $63.00 | $37.60 | 40% |
EDU 284 | Early Childhood Field Experience | Browne & Gordon | Pearson | $45.60 | $20.52 | 55% |
EDU 285 | Student Teaching and Field Experiences Handbook. 7th | Roe, Smith, & Ross | Pearson | $42.45 | $25.47 | 40% |
ENG 114 | Strategies for Tech Communication | Gurak | Pearson | $79.80 | $35.91 | 55% |
Robeson Community College- Fall 2012
| Book | Author | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
MCTS Guide to Microsoft Windows 7 | Wright and Plesniarki | $112.65 | $58.23 | 48% |
Early Childhood Curriculum | Jackman | $178.83 | $67.75 | 62% |
Religions of the World, 12th | Hopfe | $115.00 | $49.27 | 57% |
Rules for Writers | Hacker | $40.97 | $31.35 | 23% |
Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader, 10th | Rottenberg and Winchell | $82.64 | $41.43 | 50% |
Elementary Statistics | Larson | $164.65 | $76.15 | 46% |
Robeson Community College- Spring 2013
| Course | Book | Author | Publisher | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
ENG 111 | Longman Reader. 10th | Nadel | Pearson | $78.77 | $38.70 | 51% |
ENG 111 | Rules for Writers, SPI | Hacker | Beford/St. Martins | $41.67 | $22.50 | 48% |
EDU 146 | Positive Child Guidance, 7th | Miller | Cengage | $129.29 | $70.48 | 45% |
REL 110 | Religions of the World, 12th | Hopfe | Pearson | $115.00 | $53.87 | 53% |
NOS 230 | MCITP Guide to Microsoft® Windows Server 2008, Server Administration, 1st | Palmer | Cengage | $141.32 | $75.98 | 54% |
South Piedmont Community College- Spring 2013
| Course | Book | Author | Publisher | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
ENG 113 | Literature Craft & Voice, 2nd | Delbanco | McGraw-Hill | $99.67 | $47.84 | 52% |
Southwestern Community College- Spring 2013
| Course | Book | Author | Publisher | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
SEC 110 | Security+ Guide to Networking Security Fundamentals, 4th | Ciampa | Cengage | $167.95 | $58.49 | 65% |
BUS 260 | Essentials of Business Communication, 9th | Guffey |
| $163.99 | $95.99 to rent for 180 days | 41% |
Surry Community College- Spring 2013
| Course | Book | Author | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
CSC 153 | Starting Out With Visual C# 2010, 2nd | Gaddis | $123.25 | $65.75 | 47% |
SOC 210 | The Real World An Introduction to Sociology, 3rd | Ferris and Stein | $89.25 | $41.00 | 54% |
MAT 140 | A Survey of Mathematics | Allen Angel | $169.75 | $95.50 | 44% |
EDU 146 | Positive Child Guidance | Darla Ferris Miller | $125.75 | $67.00 | 47% |
Wilkes Community College- Spring 2013
| Course | Book | Author | Traditional Cost | eText Cost | Savings |
NUR 111 | Nursing(for 17 books to be used over 2 years) | N/A | $1221.25 | $888.60 + iPad or other tablet |
|
PSY 150 | Discovering Psychology, 5th | Hockenbury | $129.35 | $66.00 | 49% |
REL 110 | Religions of the World, 12th | Hopfe and Woodward |
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PSY 281 | Fundamental of Abnormal Psychology, 6th | Comer |
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Cost Comparison Summary: The average cost comparison across all schools showed a 47% cost savings in purchasing an eTextbook versus purchasing a new hardback textbook. This does not reflect the comparison between used or rental hardback textbooks and eTextbooks. The pilot is currently assessing these items.
Other Items Currently Being Analyzed Related to Costs: Colleges are now studying the effects of various student purchasing options and how these affect cost. We will be compiling these as the data is completed. Listed below is an example from Surry.
Additional Cost Comparison Details – Surry Community College:
Surry Community College- Spring 2013
Title | Edition | Publisher | New Text Print | Used Text Print | Rental Print | Buyback Print | eText Rent | eText Retail |
Courseload | ||||||||
A Survey of Mathematics | 8 | Pearson | $169.75 | $132.00 | $44.71 | $85.00 | $81.00 | $95.50 |
Positive Child Guidance | 6 | Cengage | $125.75 | $58.00 | $14.00 | $62.00 | NA | $67.00 |
The Real World: | 3 | WW Norton | $89.25 | $70.00 | $28.15 | $44.00 | $28.00 | $41.00 |
*Courseload charges $7.50 per student - included in eText retail price |
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Vital Source |
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Starting Out With Visual C#2010 | 2 | Pearson | $123.25 | $80.00 | $37.60 | $62.00 | $61.00 | $65.75 |
*Vital Source does not charge additional fees - publishers pay them | $ student receives @ buyback | Pilot text prices | ||||||
Comparison results of all textbook options for the chosen courses at Surry:
- The best value for the students would be renting the traditional textbook.
- Students can rent the eText cheaper than they can purchase it thru our Bookstore, but it would not be the same format as Courseload or Vital Source.
- Buyback options are cut out with eText, but not all traditional texts are available for buyback. Stores purchase retail copies that can be used next semester in courses.
Students can receive up to 50% off new text price in cash even though they are selling a used text. Buybacks are affected by edition changes and supplemental access codes being required for courses. Students can buy new bundles cheaper than they can buy used texts and new access codes. Therefore, we do not buy those texts back. Other texts can be sold at buyback for wholesale values or blue book prices which are very low compared to the original prices. Edition changes and need for the text play a role in this price.
- Until publishers agree to work on the eText price there are better values for the students in other versions. If eTexts are used they can even purchase directly from the publisher and that eliminates the Bookstores.
- The Pilot program is using an eText format to improve student learning and engagement. Students are saving money compared to purchasing the traditional text. If the student has the option to choose what format can be used they will shop all the options for the best value.
Surveys: Instructor and student surveys were conducted during the first two weeks of the fall semester to obtain baseline information concerning the use of eText. The survey was repeated during the last three weeks of the course. A summary of the fall results are listed below. The survey instrument is being modified for the spring semester in order to more clearly identify benefits and issues related to eText.
Assessment Results – Instructors
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Installation of the software was easy to understand
- Highlighting and referencing notes were the most commonly used features
- Most felt they had adequate training
- Face-to-face instruction was helpful
- Incorporation of more online resources
- Note sharing
- Search features
- Portability
- Cost savings
- LMS integration
Cons:
- Digital rights for textbooks
- Limited book and vendor selection
- Most agreed that student performance has not increased
- Difficult for students in beginning
- Wireless connections
- Offline access
- Required devices
- Technical issues
- Accessibility
- Compatibility is not the same on all devices
- Delay in obtaining access to books for the bookstore (can take months)
- Some platforms did not provide analytics or statistics for the instructors to review
General Feedback:
- About half of the courses used the enlarge text feature
- Half of the instructors stated that reading from an eText verses a traditional text is about the same and half stated that it was easier
- The majority of instructors access their text 2-3 times a week
Assessment Results - Students
Pros:
- Majority of students stated that their initial use of eText was mostly easy to use
- Instructors were helpful in accessing the eTextbooks
- Cost of eText versus a traditional textbook
- Highlighting and referencing notes were the most commonly used features
- Ability to search within the text
- Instructor annotations
Cons:
- Reading with a device is more difficult than reading a traditional textbook
- Did not like making eText a requirement
- Offline reading horrible
- Cannot keep material after course is over
- No buyback value
- Only half would recommend eText to other students
- Technical issues
- Required devices
General Feedback:
- Most students use their laptop to access the eTextbook
- Cost is most important to students followed by the ability to search within text
- 25% of students said regardless of the cost, they prefer printed textbooks
- 10% of students printed a downloaded copy of the eTextbook
- The majority of students access their textbooks 2-3 times a week