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Weekly News Digest
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May 13, 2021 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. For other up-to-the-minute news, check out ITI’s Twitter account: @ITINewsBreaks.
CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.
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Ex Libris Studies How Students and Faculty Members Engage With Course Materials
Ex Libris shared “Managing, Accessing and Using Course Materials,” the results “of a study that looks at how course resources are being selected, managed, accessed, and used today in higher education in the United States. The trends highlighted in the report reflect the new emphasis on remote teaching and learning.” The study, which was conducted by independent research agency Alterline, surveyed 103 faculty members and 257 students in the U.S. The study’s report includes the following findings:- Faculty members are bearing the administrative burden of managing course resources. Only 15% of faculty members reported that they receive help from a teaching assistant, instructional designer, or someone else in managing tasks related to course materials.
- Academic libraries are underused by the faculty in the search for new course materials. Faculty members use web-search results, recommendations from peers, and other sources more frequently than the library to find new course materials.
- The move to online learning has created new pressure on the faculty to assist students in accessing course materials online. Key difficulties involve finding digital versions of physical resources, managing broken hyperlinks, and obtaining resources that are behind paywalls.
- Faculty members are making an effort to reduce the cost of course materials. The report shows that 64% of faculty members have revised their choice of course resources because of cost. A substantial minority of faculty members (34%) went one step further, selecting only those course materials that are free for students.
For more information, read the press release.
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Brandi Scardilli
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