1. SDSU’s IMMEDIATE ACCESS PROGRAM Providing Affordable Solutions
PRESENTED BY
Sandra Erhorn | James Frazee | Todd Summer | Marc Pastor | Kathy Brown | Cathy Cirina-Chiu

2. JAMES
Source:

3. What is the Immediate Access Program?
A program developed by San Diego State University, and piloted in Spring 2016
Offers all enrolled students access to course materials in digital format at NO CHARGE from first day of class
Students retain no-cost access until add/drop deadline, when they can choose to remain in and pay for program or opt out
James

4. What are the benefits to students?
Immediate access to course materials
Delayed payment or option to discontinue at no cost
Discounts of 10% to 20% below regular digital access and 25% to 60% below rental or purchase of hard copies
Digital study tools (for some classes)
Printouts of materials available at low cost
James
Ability to begin student assessment (quizzes) earlier in semester, increasing potential for student success

5. Steps to Success
We believe the success of the program is a result of the extensive and organized steps taken in a distinct proactive order prior to request for approval by the SDSU collaborators.
Sandra

6. Step 1: Assemble a Committee
The Campus Store or AL$ Committee recruits members from each of the following:
Campus Store
Academic Technologies
Provost’s Office
Associated Students
Enrollment Services/Registrar
Sandra
Optional additions could include Faculty Senate, Academic Departments, Deans, Library, Campus fee approval committee, auxiliary officer

7. Step 2: Recruit Participating Faculty
Store and Academic Technologies are likely experts at identifying faculty who are already adopting digital materials or whose traditional materials are available in digital format
This step may require chair and/or dean approval on campus
Sandra
NOTE: Not all classes are good candidates. If the content is only a resource and not a core part of the instruction, it may be unfair to students to encourage purchase of a product they may not need.

8. Step 3: Negotiate Pricing & Conditions
Advantage to publishers is that entire class will test-drive materials and are much more likely to buy once they appreciate value
Pricing should reflect discounts, which will vary with seat counts and with publishers
Conditions should include whether student and/or faculty can retain their work for adaptive learning tools if they opt out
Limits and conditions on printing the materials
Sandra

9. Step 4: Comprehensive & Critical Procedures
A program outline that includes:
Pricing & discount with add-on POD options
Integration with LMS for some classes; distribution of universal code for others
Dates and timelines of opt-out with multiple points of communication to students
Informational website and opt-out website
Help-desk phone
Opt-out management with accurate reports to Bursar or Cashier’s Office
Campus and store agreement on internal campus billing and reconciliation procedures
Sandra

10. Step 5: Obtain Approval After all of that is in place:
Presentation by collaborative committee to Student Fee Committee or others, as needed
Best done by store and Academic Technologies; any others add value
May be approved for all future Immediate Access Opt-out programs if campus so chooses
Sandra

11. Step 6: Messaging Web info Booklist Syllabus LMS Web opt-out Email 1
2 – 4 weeks before classes
Web info
Booklist
Syllabus
LMS
Web opt-out 1 2
3 (for late adds)
Few days before classes
2 – 3 days before add/drop deadline
Morning after add/drop period ends
Methods of communication
Course Schedule
Marc & Kathy

12. Messaging: Course Schedule
Marc

13. Marc

14. Messaging: LMS
Marc to talk about LMS, Vital Source, RedShelf, Publishers Direct

15. Messaging: Blackboard
Marc

16. Messaging: Syllabus
Marc

17. Messaging Overview Web info Booklist Syllabus LMS Web opt-out Email 1
2 – 4 weeks before classes
Web info
Booklist
Syllabus
LMS
Web opt-out 1 2
3 (for late adds)
Few days before classes
2 – 3 days before add/drop deadline
Morning after add/drop period ends
Methods of communication
Course Schedule
Marc & Kathy

18. Messaging:
Kathy
3 separate s:
1 -
2 -
3 - for late adds

19. Messaging: Web Info
Kathy

20. Messaging Development: Web Opt-out
Kathy

21. IA Program Growth 9 classes (2600+ students) Todd
Adding classes in multiple colleges
Gone from 2 publishers to 6 or 7

22. IA Program Participation
Todd
Number of students who opted in:
Spring: 414/489
Summer: 87/104
Fall: 678/721

23. Evaluation of SDSU’s Immediate Access Program
Social Science Research Lab
Cathy

24. Data Collected to Date Spring 2016 (pilot) Summer 2016 Fall 2016
Spring 2017 (to be collected)
Todd and James asked me to help them evaluate student perception and satisfaction with the program as well as to assess whether the program was achieving its primary goals.
We do this using an online survey of all students enrolled in the classes that Immediate Access is available in each semester.
We survey both students who participated as well as those who choose to opt out.
So far we have collected 3 semesters worth of data.

25. Survey Content Areas Program information Among non-participants:
Sources
Sufficiency
Among non-participants:
Reason for opting out
Among participants:
Program features and use
Satisfaction with program
Program impact on academic success
The survey includes questions about the information sources and the amount of information students received about the program,
Asks non participants why they chose to opt out,
Asks participants about their experiences and satisfaction with the program.

26. Survey response rates have been consistent across all semesters.
So far survey response rates have remained extremely consistent, hovering at 37%.

27. Students’ primary source of information about IA program was their class syllabus.
One of the things we wanted to measure was the effectiveness of the varying modes of program communication.
On this slide we are looking at data from all 3 semesters to date.
As you can see, the primary source of program information is their class syllabus.

28. Most students felt they received sufficient information about various program aspects.
Overall, the majority of students felt they had received enough information about the program.

29. Primary reasons students opted out:
Preferred a physical book
Found materials cheaper elsewhere
Only 14% of students opted out of the program.
When asked why they opted out, the two most commonly cited reasons were that
students prefer a physical book, or
that they had found the materials cheaper somewhere else.

30. How did students use the program?
of IA users typically accessed course materials via their laptop.
83%
used the digital study tools.
30%
We were also interested in
how students were accessing the materials, and a
which features of the program students were using.
The vast majority of students access their materials via a laptop.
Thirty percent are using the digital study tools (like quizzes or online not cards) when available.
Very few students seem to be purchasing the add-on printed materials.
Less than 3% purchased the add-on print materials.

31. Most of the students who used the digital study tools found them to be valuable.

32. Only 11% of surveyed students reported technical issues with the program.
Only 11% of students reported technical issues with the program.
When we have followed up on these issues, the majority were some kind of user error.

33. Half of the participants felt digital materials were more convenient than hard copy/ print materials would have been.
When we asked students whether digital materials were more, less, or just as convenient as hard copy materials, half contended that digital materials were more convenient.
The other half were evenly split.
Essentially just 25% of students surveyed felt that digital materials were LESS convenient than hard copy materials.

34. Overall, most participants felt that the price of the program was a good value for what they received.

35. The majority of program users felt that IA was a good value because it offered course materials at a reduced rate.

36. Why do students say ‘it depends’?
Student Satisfaction
Do students recommend IA program for more classes?
Are students likely to use the IA program again?
Yes No
Depends on the class
67% of program users said they would be likely to use the program again, and
42% said they would recommend that IA be available for more classes.
However, both of those questions produced some unanticipated data—which was that students seem to feel IA may be better suited to some classes than others.
We are adding some questions to the survey to try and get a better sense of what kinds of classes students feel IA is most appropriate for.
Why do students say ‘it depends’?

37. Most students felt that participating in the IA Program benefited them academically.
Helped me participate in class discussions more.
Helped me understand the lecture or course materials better.
Helped me to prepare better for tests and quizzes.
Helped me be more engaged in the materials.
More convenient to access my course materials.
The majority of students who participated in the program felt that doing so had benefited them academically in a variety of ways.

38. Nearly three fourths of participants felt the program helped them get a higher grade than they would have without it.
71% of participants also felt that participating in the program had helped them get a higher grade than they would have received without it.
We also analyzed the data to determine whether there was any actual statistical difference between grades of students who used the program and those who opted out.
For the three semesters of data we have analyzed so far, we have not found a significant difference.
We will continue to run this analysis as the program continues.

39. Has the program achieved its primary goals?
Providing access to materials from the first day of class?
Providing materials at a reduced cost?

40. Providing access to materials from first day of class
Over half of the survey respondents (both participants and opt-outs) accessed the digital course materials before the add/drop deadline.

41. Reduced costs
The majority of program participants felt that the IA materials were cheaper than most textbooks.

42. Questions for any of our presenters?
Sandra Erhorn | James Frazee | Todd Summer | Marc Pastor | Kathy Brown | Cathy Cirina-Chiu