Bringing Course Content into the Twenty-first Century

The UC Davis Inclusive Access program has been making waves among college stores across the country with its innovative digital course materials model since it was introduced in the Fall of 2014 with 3,000 students, 10 courses, and a handful of faculty with a pioneering spirit.

Inclusive Access is a method of providing access to digital course content when instructors are using interactive courseware platforms or e-books in place of printed text. The program allows our campus to reduce student course materials costs in comparison to traditional print text, and ensures that every student has easy access to the content by the first day of class. In short, we have upgraded our course materials model to combine affordability and ease of access with 21st century educational tools.

Two Main Goals of Inclusive Access:

• Reduce the overall cost of course materials.
• Provide access to products which improve educational outcomes for students.

The Process Is Simple:

• When an instructor decides to include use of an interactive courseware platform in their curriculum, discount pricing is negotiated by the Inclusive Access program.
• Student access instructions and billing info are posted at http://inclusiveaccess.ucdavis.edu.
• Access is provided automatically for every student in the roster on the first day of class, including waitlisted students.
• Students are able to access the content for 10 days with no initial payment, during which time they can opt out if they choose.
• Students who remain in will have the access charge billed to their university account (MyBill).
• Students who drop the course are automatically opted out and are not billed.

Why We Did It

The price of printed textbooks has increased at an astronomical rate since 1978, surpassing almost all other economic indexes. In the current economic climate even used and rental textbooks, once the haven of affordability, are increasing in price and, conversely, decreasing in availability as sales of new textbooks decline. An alarming percentage of students choose to forego acquiring course materials altogether, putting their academic success at risk, and this number is growing each year. It is a complex downward spiraling cycle.

Why It Works

• Inclusive Access delivery models break that cycle by consolidating purchases to achieve lower prices.
• Because of lower overall logistical and production costs, digital course content is by nature less expensive than the ever escalating prices of printed textbooks. It can be provided without quantity restrictions, with zero shipping and storage costs, and can be updated easily, guaranteeing every student access to the latest academic content.
• Through the Inclusive Access program, each participating course essentially becomes a buying group acquiring the content through a single source, so publishers are willing to negotiate much lower prices than they can for print materials.
• Deferred payment also allows students to use their financial aid instead of credit cards and ends the educational disenfranchisement of waitlisted students waiting to purchase their course materials.
• In just its first year, the program saved UC Davis students over $1 million while providing them day-one access to adaptive and interactive course content which has been shown to improve educational outcomes.

Benefits to Faculty:

• No restraint on academic freedom. Instructors choose the content.
• Ability to manage content and even add their own in some platforms.
• Students can begin online homework assignments on first day of class.
• Ability to integrate in the campus LMS for single sign-on access and grade-book integration.
• Instructor analytics on student engagement and success.
• Peer to peer online access help desk staffed by UC Davis students.

Benefits to Students:

• 50%-80% lower than equivalent pricing for printed textbooks.
• Deferred student billing direct to student account.
• Course materials available day one with no waiting in line for heavy books.
• Increased interaction with course content leading to greater success in the course

How Your Campus is Affecting Change

• The pilot was featured in the October 2014 issue of The College Store Magazine, published by the National Association of College Stores (NACS).
• UC Davis is specifically mentioned as the example to follow in California State Legislation governing the provision of similar types of content delivery.
• Winner of the 2015 National Association of College Stores Most Innovative College Store award and the 2016 UC Office of the President Larry Sautter Award for Innovation in Information and Educational Technology.
• Others in the industry are now looking to UC Davis as an innovator as a result of this program. Since 2014, UC Davis has provided mentoring to other universities facing the same challenges with course materials, and the program model has spread to over 100 campuses nationwide and has generated interest internationally.

Frequently Asked Questions