Right now Student Monitor researchers are in the field at college campuses across the country, speaking with students in over 1,200 one-on-one interviews to uncover the latest trends in higher education, including the benefits of digital course materials in terms of affordability and learning outcomes.
As we wait for the results of our current study to come back, I wanted to take the time to dive deeper with some publishers and get their thoughts on the impact of eTextbooks, Inclusive Access and more as the trend towards digital continues in the higher education space.
I reached out to a few publishers, and here’s what I found:
How are eTextbooks different from eBooks like a novel, what are some of the features that students use the most?
Charles Linsmeier, EVP & General Manager, Macmillan Learning:
Course materials have come such a long way since their debut as standard .pdfs more than a decade ago. When many think of eTextbooks, they might still imagine flat content where students read materials as they would on their favorite e-reader, but the reality is so much more exciting. Modern eTextbooks are highly interactive, featuring animated and manipulable graphs and data visualizations, video and animations that encourage understanding across mediums, and embedded assessment to advance mastery.
eTextbooks also live within online learning platforms (courseware) which are created to interact with and support active learning, and promote engagement that goes beyond knowledge acquisition to develop transferable skills; in practical terms, this means students are using their courseware to interact with their professor, with the content, view animations and video, utilize formative assessments to gauge their understanding, conduct peer-review, participate in real-time polls, and, of course, read and understand the content. The list goes on and on.
From the typical student’s’ perspective, what do you think the key advantages of eTextbooks are compared to purchasing print publishers should consider?
Craig Chanoff, SVP of Sales and Marketing, Pearson:Â
We invest significant time listening to students’ learning preferences and doing research on what they need to succeed in their classes. eTextbooks provide students with multiple benefits that align with their preferences. First, eTextbooks are more affordable than print. Furthermore, digital native students love eTextbook interactive features like notetaking or access to ancillary study tools like videos to complement their learning. Today’s students are multi-dimensional and they make decisions based on choice and value. They like being able to download books or listen on the go. Finally, today’s students do not like to wait, and eTextbooks supports students’ ability to access materials when they decide to join the class without having to go to the bookstore or wait for a copy to be mailed.
Do you think student adoption of eTextbooks are responsible, at least in part, for the recent decline in the student incidence of renting print?
Charles Linsmeier, EVP & General Manager, Macmillan Learning:
The majority of students that purchase Macmillan Learning’s course materials for higher education do so using digital formats. The increasing popularity of digital course materials is impacted by several factors, including lower costs, improved on-the-go access to digital programs whether accessed online or downloaded on their devices. Distribution programs like inclusive access make accessing the digital materials convenient and seamless, building off students’ familiarity with digital tools from K12, and most recently, increased use during the pandemic. As students have more experience and become more familiar with online learning, they not only become more comfortable with using digital materials, they also have greater appreciation of its benefits.
Over the last decade student spending on course materials has decreased 44 percent, according to research from Student Monitor, what are some of the innovations the publishing industry has put in place that have contributed to this increasing affordability?
Craig Chanoff, SVP of Sales and Marketing, Pearson:Â
The shift from print to digital eTextbooks has driven down student expenses, while also increasing the quality of the textbook experience by enabling publishers to quickly edit and modify content. Inclusive Access enables students to fully leverage their financial aid and has been a major driver in getting materials to students on the first day of class. Often times, it is embedded into their course assignments. The research demonstrates that a key to student success and ultimate course completion is tied to their having their books on the first day of class. Another innovation that supports affordability while improving the student experience is Pearson+ — a low cost, high quality eTextbook and study tool subscription experience. Through Pearson+, students can access an eTextbooks at costs lower than print purchases or print rentals.
Based on these conversations, there’s no question that publishers see a bright future for digital course materials, to innovate as well as provide equity in the classroom. As we wrap up our twice annual study, I will be back in a few months with some topline findings from our report that will give Good e-Readers an in-depth view of where digital materials area heading from students’ perspectives.
Eric Weil is the Managing Partner of STUDENT MONITOR LLC, the syndicated market research study of the U.S. and international college student market. Eric has been active in the college market for over thirty years as the publisher of the College Marketing Annual and Collegiate Trends.
