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IU independent study program leads way with electronic learning guides
Oct. 16, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University has become the first independent study program in the country to make electronic learning guides available through either Microsoft Reader for personal computers or Adobe Acrobat E-book Reader for Apple computers.
IU School of Continuing Studies Dean Jeremy Dunning announced today (Oct. 16) that the two software programs are available this fall through the university's independent study program.
"The e-learning guides feature the same content and thought-provoking assignments as our printed learning guides," explained Dunning, "but they give students the added advantage of being able to look up words in an integrated dictionary, to write margin notes, to highlight text, and to track their work in an annotations index."
He said students can access their e-learning guides within 24 hours of enrolling in a course. The guides are available for more than 100 IU independent study program courses and are expected to provide students with a more efficient way to access and interact with course content.
The new program reflects a cooperative agreement between the School of Continuing Studies and Academic Materials, an e-book services company. Aaron Thacker, president of Academic Materials, said, "The low cost and ease of delivery of e-book editions are similar to what students would experience with a Web page. What is different is the array of reading tools that are available when reading an e-book on Microsoft Reader and Adobe Acrobat E-Book Reader."
Larry Onesti, executive director of the School of Continuing Students Office of Academic Programs, said this program "again represents IU leadership in distance education and is a reason why we have received more national awards than any other independent study program."
For more details on this program, contact Dunning at 812-855-1538, dunning@indiana.edu or Thacker at 877-761-5547, ext. 9, mthacker@AcademicMaterials.com
(Richard Doty, 812-855-0084, rgdoty@indiana.edu)