This summer session (which started a couple of weeks ago) I am using Cengage's ichapters and simply assigning the chapters I actually use in the course. It is a simple transaction and it works great. No bells or whistles, and I am thinking I need to include a link to the US Constitution and some statutory and regulatory materials (all public domain, all free) on the syllabus so they can cross reference some sources. But this seems to be a winner. Costs them about $70 plus change instead of $200 plus change. I doubt the canpus bookstore shares my enthusiasm, but I think the point is to save the students money, not to guarantee profits for the middleman.
 
I speculate that it works for the textbooks authors as well, because it pretty well eliminates the used books market. And saves trees, at least with respect to the pages in chapters not used in the course anyway. And fuel shipping books around.
 
BTW, speaking of fuel: The BP disaster has not yet affected the eastern Gulf seafood, but the joke around here is that when it does you won't have to use so much oil to cook the fish. Not very funny, I guess. 
 
Ginny

________________________________

From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk on behalf of James Funk
Sent: Mon 5/17/2010 8:56 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Feedback Requested



We use Cross & Miller's, Legal Environment of Business.  We've tried the
Cengage Now product (Aplia's cousin) for a year.  The two motivating factors
in adopting this product were (1) the possibility of tying chapter
activities with immediate access to the text and (2) the accumulation of
assessment data.

Summer quarter will mark the end of this experiment for the following
reasons:
1. The costs associated with acquiring the access codes have not been
justified in terms of student learning.
2. Every quarter there have been mix-ups with the bookstore in terms of
access codes.  Cengage develops a different ISBN depending upon whether the
material is purchased through the bookstore or through the online bookstore
that Cengage sponsors.  We've even had the representative speak with the
bookstore to make certain that the correct materials are purchased.  This
has not resolved the problem.  (Cengage also has different ISBN if you're
using the product as stand alone or in junction with BlackBoard or WebCT or
whatever.)  Good grief ... five weeks into a quarter class and there are
still access codes issues.
3. The students are not using the materials to review and/or enhance the
materials in the text.  No one has used the individualized study plan
features in a year.
4. It is difficult to evaluate essay questions through the product and
provide feedback.
5. In an accelerated session, I gave the option of using simply the
materials through Cengage Now instead of purchasing the textbook since there
is an online version of the text included the access code.  Allegedly this
was going to be a cost saving measure; the students found this format
difficult to use.

Fall quarter we will fall back to using simply the textbook.  Because of the
initial problems, we never got around to looking at assessment data.


James C. Funk, Esq.
Professor of Business Technologies
Marion Technical College
1467 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Marion, OH 43302
740-389-4636 x 230

-----Original Message-----
From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard L. Coffinberger
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 3:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Feedback Requested

I am considering adopting Aplia for my legal environment course. If you have
used the Aplia product with your legal environment course, I would
appreciate your evaluation of it. My direct e-mail address is
[log in to unmask]

Thanks,
Rick