Related toolsIU eTexts offers significant advantages for students and faculty:
- All your students will have their required course materials on the first day of class.
- IU eTexts are often less (and sometimes much less) expensive than their print counterparts.
- Textbooks and digital courseware ordered through IU eTexts are charged through students’ bursar bills, so students can pay for them using all forms of financial aid.
- Students can access their eTexts directly from your Canvas site.
- You can direct students to important passages by creating annotations in the textbook that students can view as they read.
- Your Unizin Engage eText is loaded to your Canvas course automatically about 30 days prior to the start of the term. You have access to the eText immediately; students have access to their eText as soon as you publish your Canvas course.
IU eText ordering deadlines are typically in March or April for Fall semester and October for Spring semester. Please see Ordering deadlines for IU eTexts for specific dates. Even if you are past the deadline you may still place an order by following the instructions for post-deadline orders.
Are etexts as good as print
This is a common question when considering eTexts, and the answer is: how much students retain from a text depends more on what they and their instructors do with that text than how it's published. For example, students will almost certainly recall more from a text if they’ve used it for activities and assignments than if they simply read and took an exam over it, regardless if it’s a physical textbook or an eText. With this in mind, the advantages of eTexts, especially that they provide more affordable access to the course text for all students and on the first day, usually makes eTexts the better and more equitable choice.
For specific activities, see Using eTexts in and out of class.
Digital courseware and learning tools
In addition to eTexts, many publishers include digital courseware (such as supplemental homework or test banks), or you may have other learning tools that are independent of a textbook. These may also be purchesed through IU eText. See Using digital courseware and learning tools for additional information.