CT > Virginia State Moves to Digital Textbooks in Business Program

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Campus Technology / 09-10-10 / Dian Schaffhauser

Virginia State University recently purchased a digital site license for textbooks from Flat World Knowledge to be used in business courses. In place of traditional textbooks, students enrolled in the university's School of Business will be using the alternative publisher's books in digital formats. [snip].

Institution representatives said they expect to add more courses to the license next year. Each site license will cost the school $20 per student per course for digital access to all learning content for the core business curriculum. [snip] The digital files don't have an expiration date or copy-protection; users can transfer the books among devices. For students who prefer a physical book, softcover textbooks will also be available for $30.

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"Through this licensing model we hope to break that cycle, improve retention and graduation rates, and create a pipeline of student success. Our students have always had the ability and intellect, now they will have the resources."

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The change with textbooks mirrors changes in curriculum at the business program too. This fall the school is introducing an "integrated core business curriculum," an approach to learning that reflects the process orientation followed by companies. [snip]

"We are in the business of education and must seek innovative ways to ensure the success of our students, especially during these times of severe budget cuts and economic uncertainty," said President Keith Miller. "The licensing agreement with Flat World Knowledge meets the needs of our business students and faculty for high-quality, affordable textbooks and serves as a model for how academic institutions and innovative publishers can partner to solve critical higher education issues."

Source

[http://campustechnology.com/articles/2010/09/10/virginia-state-moves-to-digital-textbooks-in-business-program.aspx]

Related

VSU Signs Groundbreaking Textbook Licensing Agreement

[http://www.vsu.edu/pages/2662.asp?item=13074]