Case Studies: VitalSource Bookshelf® Application Brings e-Learning to Life at eCornell

Making custom course content accessible online and off opens doors for interaction, continued learning and collaboration.

As the field of e-learning continues its rapid expansion, institutions face the challenge not only of accommodating more students in their e-learning programs, but also of addressing an evolving set of student needs.

When Cornell University began to explore solutions for delivering its online programs, the university demanded a solution tailored for professional and executive development in the areas of strategy, leadership and management development, engineering, human resources, financial management and hospitality management. The result was eCornell.

eCornell structured its programs around students’ needs to improve personal performance in context-specific areas of daily work practice. Rather than teaching to a specific textbook or course guide, eCornell’s professional and executive development programs revolve around a number of resources ranging from multimedia files to interactive exercises. Bringing courses to life for students required eCornell to establish a method for learners to interact with course content.

For students in professional development programs, having a lasting record of their online learning experience and maintaining offline access to companion materials are important requirements. Busy professionals often learn on the go – during the commute to work or a flight to the next business meeting, for example. In addition, several of the tools and techniques they experience during the course of a professional development program require ongoing study and constant practice. Achieving the goals of a professional development e-learning program is heavily reliant on students’ access to these enduring reference materials.

For eCornell, addressing students’ need to capture course content meant more than publishing a companion booklet. In 2006, eCornell began its search for a solution that would bolster its dynamic, engaging and student-centered approach to e-learning. eCornell found the ideal solution in VitalSource®. The VitalSource advanced e-book platform matched eCornell’s requirements, enabling the university to transform the supporting resources for each online class into interactive CourseNotes. A typical CourseNotes package includes lecture notes, a Q&A with an industry or faculty expert, self-evaluations, and job aides featuring guidelines for managing day-to-day challenges.

eCornell launched its VitalSource-powered e-learning suite in April 2007 with 52 courses. The initial implementation was a success, and now eCornell offers over 90 CourseNotes selections through VitalSource with additional course offerings in development. Students may receive CourseNotes packages for 13 courses in both English and Spanish.

eCornell students obtain and view CourseNotes online using Bookshelf®, the VitalSource’s cutting edge e-book application. Bookshelf allows students to easily purchase and organize e-learning materials.

Once a student downloads a CourseNotes package from eCornell’s portal onto Bookshelf, the materials are accessible both on- and off-line. Bookshelf displays an index of all resources contained in each CourseNotes package on a simple, user-friendly interface. Using Bookshelf, students may interact with their CourseNotes in a variety of ways that support the learning process:

• Bookshelf’s highlight function allows students to call attention to the most salient portions of a document.
• Users can use the application to make digital annotations in CourseNotes documents.
• A robust search capability makes it simple and easy for eCornell students to instantly browse all their CourseNotes materials and annotations for words, terms and topics.
• Finally, state-of-the-art social networking technology allows CourseNotes users to subscribe to others’ notes and highlights, creating a true community learning process.

Its relationship with one of the nation’s leading educational institutions meant eCornell officials were concerned about protecting the original faculty work contained in CourseNotes. The VitalSource platform’s proven track record of digital rights management for some of the world’s foremost publishing houses gave eCornell confidence that its intellectual property would be protected while also maintaining a fluid user experience for students. For example, Bookshelf enables users to print limited quantities of text – a simple capability that adds significant value for students.

With e-learning powered by VitalSource, eCornell now provides working professionals with the highest level of university-sponsored online learning.