3 Ways You Can Support Digital Learning and Student Success
Over the last few months, our team has spoken with community colleges across the country. A theme among these conversations is improving textbook access and affordability.
There is a clear consensus that students should have easy access to low-cost materials. This mindset has led to an increase in innovative course material models, including Equitable Access programs, Inclusive Access programs, and robust OER initiatives.
Our conversations also show digital transformation is coming. We’ve seen a significant shift over the course of the past few years from mostly physical materials to a majority digital materials. The ease and affordability of digital materials are undeniable. Digital materials are easy for professors to use and can even offer interactive courseware to support student learning.
So, what can you do to ensure students have easy access to their course materials in the most affordable way?
- Embrace new purchasing models.
Using an eCommerce bookstore solution can cut down on pricing for students significantly, and students can easily compare costs across different platforms to get the type of materials they want at the price they want to pay. Additionally, using Inclusive Access programs for specific courses can help students cut costs while supporting their success by ensuring students are prepared for class on the first day.
- Use digital content experts to integrate between publishers and your LMS.
Although digital content is growing in popularity, the content is not always integrated seamlessly between publishers and your school’s LMS. The integration process is key, as having to deal with access codes to digital materials is often a confusing, inconsistent, and frustrating process. Having course materials directly available in your LMS (where students spend a significant portion of their time anyway) allows for codeless access, so students can easily access their course materials without going through a third-party source.
- Consider an equitable access model to ensure day-one success.
Although your campus may not be ready to jump into an equitable access program, where all students are delivered their physical and digital course materials before the first day of class, this model is the most comprehensive way to ensure that your students have all the materials they need to be successful.
Consider these examples of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Hastings College implementing equitable access programs to support student success.
Set up some time to chat with an expert if you have questions about what this would look like on your campus!
