February 2003 — Digital Publishing

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XanEdu Q&A: The Evolution of Digital Publishing in Higher Education



XanEdu, a division of ProQuest Information and Learning Co., is a custom content provider that helps the higher education community integrate real-world information and resources into the classroom. The company publishes both online and offline course materials, primarily in the form of digital and print CoursePacks for student use. XanEdu has also amassed one of the largest commercial and scholarly archives of journals, periodicals, newspapers, books, primary literature works and academic collections. XanEdu's CoursePacks, Digital TextBooks, ReSearch Engines, and other print and digital resources are currently in use by more than 1,300 institutions. In addition, XanEdu recently acquired MetaText, a publisher of Digital TextBooks, and Courier Custom Publishing Inc., a provider of full-service book manufacturing, specialty book publishing and customized coursepack services. XanEdu's top management answered T.H.E. Journal's questions about the evolution of digital publishing in higher education.

T.H.E.: What is the importance of custom materials for schools and educators?

XanEdu: Custom materials can give educators enhanced control, flexibility and the power to align resources with the scope and sequence of the curriculum. There are other advantages as well, because faculty members can build multiple perspectives into custom course materials, as well as maintain higher levels of currency and authenticity. For example, faculty members using CoursePacks often add a related XanEdu ReSearch Engine module, giving students access to new information that is updated daily. For colleges and universities, all of this translates to even higher levels of quality instruction and resources, as well as the intelligent integration of technology.

While custom course materials are preferred, many faculty members still don't use them. The reality of finding the right materials, arranging for copyright clearance, and compiling the final coursepack can be time-consuming and inconvenient for faculty. XanEdu has simplified this process, helping faculty provide comprehensive, up-to-date course materials in digital, print or a combination of print and digital formats. With the XanEdu solution, instructors can select from a continually expanding archive, providing unprecedented and free access to selections from journals, cases, newspapers, chapters and other academic sources that have all been copyright cleared. The XanEdu CoursePack system can also incorporate faculty notes, teaching tips and Web links, along with faculty proprietary information, all in a user-friendly format.

While colleges and universities are issuing policy statements that call for rapid integration of information technology to support teaching and learning, mainstream faculty members are, quite reasonably, finding the conversion to be challenging. In many cases, the "hybrid" solution — one that integrates both print and digital resources — is the preference, because it enables faculty members to introduce digital resources in a way that aligns with both their curriculum and their own growing levels of technological skill. By offering faculty tools, comprehensive services and a vast repository of quality content, publishers and service providers can help faculty integrate technology into the classroom without undue difficulty.