ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What are Electronic Course Materials (ECMs)? Electronic Course Materials are course materials that are available in a completely electronic format. They include everything from electronic versions of textbooks to narrated PowerPoint presentations, YouTube videos, articles, case studies, and electronic access codes that allow you to access additional content, among other things. At Post, ECMs will include materials that are developed and gathered by faculty to address specific program and course outcomes. Why is Post adding Electronic Course Materials to its courses? The number of people choosing electronic content over paper books and other materials has grown exponentially in the past couple of years. And at Post, we not only want to stay ahead of the technology curve, we also want to be sure we’re providing you with access to the materials you need to achieve your goals! By adding Electronic Course Materials to more and more courses, we can provide you with customized content that’s been developed and gathered by our faculty to help you meet specific program and course outcomes. So, rather than relying on individual textbooks, our faculty will be able to pick and choose a rich set of course materials, including everything from chapters of relevant textbooks to YouTube videos to narrated PowerPoint presentations and more. In some cases, your course will include an electronic version of a textbook, or e-­‐book, that was written by one of our faculty members or by an outside expert. In addition to being a typically lower cost option, Electronic Course Materials including e-­‐books also will provide you a more convenient and flexible way to access your course materials on the electronic device of your choice— no need to carry around heavy textbooks! Will all my courses have ECMs in the future? Our goal is to provide you with the tools you need to succeed. Initially, we piloted a program where we provided electronic versions of textbooks in a number of our courses, and asked students in those courses to provide feedback. Now, we are using that feedback to launch our new ECM program, which will add Electronic Course Materials of all kinds, including e-­‐books, to a number of undergraduate and graduate courses beginning in MOD 6 2014. Over time, our plan is to provide ECMs in nearly all our courses because we believe this is the best way to support you in achieving your educational goals. So, even if your course(s) don’t include ECMs in MOD 6, you will be able to take advantage of all the benefits provided through ECMs in future courses. When do you expect all courses to include ECMs? Our goal is to add ECMs to 60% of our courses by January 2015. ECMs will be added to the remaining courses within another 12-­‐18 months. What is the difference between Electronic Course Materials and an e-­‐book? E-­‐Books: Often an e-­‐book is simply an electronic version of a print book, but it typically costs less and is more accessible. At Post, e-­‐books may be written by our faculty or by an outside expert. Regardless of who writes the e-­‐book, the content will be fully integrated within Blackboard, so you will have easy access to everything you need whenever and wherever you need it. You’ll also be able to read the text on any handheld device, including Androids, iPhones, iPads, Kindle Fires, and of course, your computer. Commercially-­‐available e-­‐books that are written by outside experts will be provided to you through CourseSmart, which gives you access to a robust set of tools and functionality. For example, you can highlight text and take notes, share those notes with others, print them out or search them, all with the click of a mouse. ECMs: Electronic Course Materials include everything from e-­‐books (as described above) to YouTube videos, electronic articles, chapters from textbooks, PowerPoint presentations, etc. At Post, we’ve asked our faculty to think carefully through the student learning outcomes in each course, and then pull together a rich mix of multimedia content that’s meant to help you achieve these specific outcomes. In some cases, the material will be developed in-­‐house by our faculty members, and in other cases, it will be assembled from a wide array of outside sources, including industry-­‐
specific publications, textbooks, presentations, etc. – all within copyright guidelines. It’s important to understand that some ECM courses will include an electronic version of a commercially-­‐available textbook (e-­‐book), which will be provided through CourseSmart, and some courses will not. The most important thing to remember is that your ECMs will be selected based on what’s needed to help you achieve course outcomes. What if I don’t have access to the Internet or don’t want to read from a computer screen? You will be able to download much of the material, so you won’t always need an Internet connection to access it. And if you don’t want to read an e-­‐book or other print materials on screen, you can print out certain pages or whole chapters. Will my professor be using the Electronic Course Materials, too? Everyone in the class, including your instructor, will be using the Electronic Course Materials. How much are these materials going to cost and how will I be billed? The cost of your ECMs will be $90. This cost will be added to your student account and appear on your next statement, and is generally going to be much lower than the cost of most new hardcover textbooks. Note to students in our Military Program: As a member of our Military Program, Post University will cover the cost of your ECMs. Thank you for your service! Can I cover the cost of the Electronic Course Materials with a book voucher? You will not need a book voucher since the cost of the Electronic Course Materials will be automatically added to your student account and reflected in your payment plan. Can I opt out of using ECMs? No. If your course(s) includes ECMs you will need to rely on them to meet course expectations. The Electronic Course Materials added to our courses have been specifically gathered and integrated to help you meet course outcomes, and they will be essential to your success. All the materials you will need for your course will be automatically loaded into your Blackboard course shell, and the cost will be added to your student account. Everyone in your course, including the instructor, will be using the Electronic Course Materials. If the ECMs in my course include a commercially-­‐available electronic textbook (e-­‐book), can I still purchase a hard copy of the book if I want one? Yes. Although we encourage you to take full advantage of the added features and functionality available to you through any e-­‐books provided in your courses, you also have the option of also purchasing a hard copy of a commercially-­‐
available textbook through the online bookstore at a reduced cost. However, it’s important to remember that your instructor will be relying on the electronic version of the book throughout the course. In addition, most courses will include a wide array of Electronic Course Materials, not just a commercially-­‐available e-­‐book. And, some courses may not include a commercially-­‐available e-­‐book at all. What if I need help using the Electronic Course Materials? You can contact your instructor or Academic Success Counselor (Advisor) if you have questions about how to make the most of the ECMs provided to you. In you have questions about using a commercially-­‐available e-­‐book, you will have access to 24/7 customer support through CourseSmart at 866.588.3197 or visit http://coursesmart.com/help. Can I get a refund for the Electronic Course Materials if I drop my class? If you drop the course within the ADD/DROP period and have not printed or downloaded more than 20% of any commercially-­‐available e-­‐book provided, you will receive a full refund of the $90 Electronic Course Materials cost. The ADD/DROP period ends at 5 p.m. EST on Friday of the first week of the MOD. So, if you drop the course after 5 p.m. EST on the first Friday of the MOD, you are responsible for the cost of the course and the Electronic Course Materials. Please note: The return policy for commercially-­‐available electronic books added to your course is different than the return policy for standard e-­‐books purchased from the online bookstore or outside vendors. If your course includes a commercially-­‐available e-­‐book, you will need to abide by the refund policy noted above. Can I print out pages of the Electronic Course Materials to read offline? Yes! You can print any of your text-­‐based materials, including a few pages or an entire e-­‐book. You also can download individual chapters or sections of an e-­‐book to read at any time, even when you don’t have access to the Internet. Please note: If you drop the course within the ADD/DROP period, but have printed or downloaded more than 20% of an e-­‐book, you will not be eligible for a refund of the Electronic Course Materials fee. How long will I have access to my Electronic Course Materials? This will depend on the Electronic Course Materials provided in the course. For example, there are some limitations on the amount of time any e-­‐book content provided through CourseSmart will be available to you. Availability on commercially-­‐available e-­‐book content typically ranges from 180 days to 360 days. The CourseSmart bookshelf will provide you with specifics on the length of time those e-­‐book materials will be available to you. So, if you want to keep certain information from the e-­‐book, you may want to print those specific materials for your own library. Most other ECMs will remain available in the course as long as you have access to that particular course in Blackboard. How do I access my ECMs? All your ECMs content will be accessible to you via your Blackboard course shell. If your course includes an e-­‐book provided through CourseSmart, you can gain access to that e-­‐book in three ways: 1. By signing in to your course in Blackboard – everything you need will be waiting for you. 2. Via CourseSmart.com using a computer, laptop or Internet-­‐enabled device. You will need to use your CourseSmart username and password to log in. This information will be sent to you from CourseSmart prior to the start of your course. 3. By using the CourseSmart App on a supported smart device. You will need your CourseSmart username and password, as noted above. You also will receive instructions on how to access any e-­‐book materials if/when they are added to your Blackboard shell. How do I know my username/password for CourseSmart.com? You will receive an email from CourseSmart when a commercially-­‐available e-­‐book has been added to your Blackboard course shell as part of your ECM content. When can I access my ECMs? Your ECMs will be available in your Blackboard course shell on the Sunday prior to the start of the MOD. Are there tutorial videos that I can view to learn more about the features of e-­‐books provided through CourseSmart? Yes! Here are some links from CourseSmart: http://www.coursesmart.com/go/reader http://www.coursesmart.com/go/offlinevideo YouTube link for Android: http://youtu.be/AdHqur18EPs YouTube link for iPad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue18XKiXccY&feature=youtu.be Who can I call if I still have questions? Please feel free to contact your Academic Success Counselor (Advisor) with any questions. For technical issues related to the use of any e-­‐books provided through CourseSmart, please contact CourseSmart directly at 866.588.3197 or http://coursesmart.com/help.