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Virtual Publications:
Adapting to 21st Century Learning Styles
G
utenberg books have provided writ-
ten information for centuries where
any reader could pick up a text and
absorb the ideas of the writer no matter
where he was as long as he had a copy
of the book. Fast-forward across cen-
turies to the present, and we still have a
similar format for publishing books and
edition changes. The graphics and im-
ages may have improved over time, but
little else has ultimately changed.
College students from the past can
certainly remember going to the book
store and spending hundreds of dollars
per semester for text books, many of
which the professor never even used.
Additionally, many of the lectures in class
and/or the course assessments were not
always in sync with textbook chapters,
often leading to student frustrations over
assignments and grades.
ECPI University started to address these
problems several years ago with cus-
tom textbooks that mapped to some of
the course outcomes but not all. One
of the problems that were discovered
was that once the custom textbook was
developed, it was very difficult to update
in a timely manner. Afterwards, it was
decided to move into eBooks, but the
initial offerings were nothing more than
static PDF files that were difficult to read
and in some cases even more difficult to
comprehend.
Today, ECPI University is developing
Virtual Publications – or vPubs – that are
specifically mapped to the course out-
comes and offer mobility along with rich
content to enhance the student learning
experience. Some of the features of the
vPub include:
• Search capability
• Bookmarks
• Highlighting
• Email
• Social network integration.
Faculty began researching this as soon
as iBook Author made it possible to
create and deliver content in an efficient
and exciting manner. The initial focus for
the vPubs was threefold: that they are
mobile, content rich, and as interactive
and engaging as possible.
The first step in the process was to de-
velop an outline or storyboard in iBooks
Author since the iPads were portable
and easy to access and distribute. Soon
afterward, it was realized that the con-
tent would need to be presented on any
type of mobile device that a student may
prefer, so the vPub Development Team
looked at several technologies for a tool
or software that would help achieve this
goal. HTML5 became the clear answer
and now vPubs can be presented on any
device that connects to the Internet. This
includes iPads, iPhones, Droids, Android
Tablets, laptops, desktops, and Black-
Berry devices.
Second, vPubs should be rich in writ-
ten content, images, and multi-media.
All content is written by subject mat-
ter experts who work closely with the
instructional designers to ensure the
content is clear, user-friendly, and ap-
propriately mapped to course outcomes.
The graphics for these publications are
all custom-designed to facilitate present-
ing the textual content in a dynamic and
animated way.
There are also interactive elements that
make accessing and absorbing the infor-
mation presented in the classroom more
engaging and fun. These include various
widgets, objects, and even games. Also
included are multiple assessment objects
to keep students on track and focused.
These assessments let students know
what concepts they grasp and those that
may need more attention. Many of the
other resources that can help the student
master difficult concepts are topic-driven
video and multi-media presentations.
Finally, the team designed and continues
to evolve vPubs with modern learning in
mind. Attention spans have diminished
over the years. Students want to point
and click and “get it now.” They seem
perpetually engaged on their devices, so
vPubs are being designed to meet them
exactly where they are and in a way that
is familiar and almost second nature.
One feature of the vPubs is that content
is only focused on concepts that are key
to the course. Textual content is deliv-
ered in small chunks that can be easily
digested and connected to information
that is already in the student’s mind.
This connection drives the memoriza-
tion needed but refuses to stop there;
the memory is only a tool to understand
and convey concepts. Also included
are many gaming concepts to provide
another familiar and fun activity in which
students often engage themselves and
learn.
The Virtual Publication project has been
moving steadily over the past year and
there are now three course publica-
tions in classroom production (CIS106,
CIS150, and ENG110) and three course
publications (CIS225, ENG120, and
CIS212) under development. Two of the
courses under development are slated
for completion by the end of 2014. As
always, feedback is encouraged. Sug-
gested changes and updates can be
sent to
vpub@ecpi.edu
.
By Network Security Dean of Curriculum Thomas Trevethan, Associate Dean of Academic
Technology Gerry White, and Director of Product Development Lisa Raisor
They [students] seem perpetually
engaged on their devices, so
vPubs are being designed to
meet them exactly where they
are and in a way that is familiar
and almost second nature.