Assessing your institution’s “digital readiness” is a key starting point for building and implementing a successful digital transformation strategy that bridges the gap between technical infrastructure and user needs. This session will . . . → Read More: Brett Costello Speaks at AACSB International ICAM and CT Forum-Long Beach Events]]> Brett Costello is looking forward to meeting all of you at the AACSB International ICAM and Campus Technology Forum events this week!

Assessing your institution’s “digital readiness” is a key starting point for building and implementing a successful digital transformation strategy that bridges the gap between technical infrastructure and user needs. This session will outline a Spectrum of Digital Best Practices based on real-world higher education examples. Join us for this interactive, workshop-style session where you’ll walk away with a customized “next steps” guide that you can take back to your institution.

Here are the dates and times Brett will be speaking:

AACSB International-ICAM- Monday, April 30, 2012. 10:30am-12:00pm (PST)

CT Forum-Long Beach- Wednesday, May 2, 2012. 10:00am – 10:50am (PST)

Alar will be presenting on how mobile devices and apps have inspired a digital transformation at universities around the world.  He will share his vision for rebuilding course materials into dynamic, interactive and engaging . . . → Read More: XanEdu CEO To Present At Mobile Monday Detroit]]> XanEdu’s Chief Executive Officer, Alar Elken, will be speaking at Mobile Monday Detroit at Compuware in downtown Detroit on Monday, 3/12.

Alar will be presenting on how mobile devices and apps have inspired a digital transformation at universities around the world.  He will share his vision for rebuilding course materials into dynamic, interactive and engaging digital experiences for mobile devices that enhance learning, encourage collaboration, improve learning outcomes and meet the demands for low-cost textbook alternatives.

Mobile Monday Detroit will take place at Compuware headquarters in downtown Detroit, and as always, attendance is FREE, but advance registration is required for security purposes. Don’t forget to sign up on CrowdJuice.com to arrange in advance to network with others who will be at the event @http://www.crowdjuice.com/momom/events/204.

Future Growth with Digital Delivery, Print-on-Demand Technology, and Open Textbooks

Fri., March 2 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.

Room: . . . → Read More: XanEdu at Camex 2012 Show]]> XanEdu will be presenting at the 2012 Campus Market Expo (Camex)  in Salt Lake City tomorrow, March 2nd, with our partner, Flat World Knowledge, Inc. and will be conducting a product spotlight on March 3rd.  Details below:

Future Growth with Digital Delivery, Print-on-Demand Technology, and Open Textbooks

Fri., March 2 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.

Room: 151 ABC

Block: 2 Session: 2-9
Jeff Shelstad, co-presenter

Product Spotlight featuring XanEdu and Flat World Knowledge

Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 2:30 p.m.– 3:45 p.m.

Room: Ballroom Section H

The partnership addresses the growing need for affordable course content that professors can easily customize to . . . → Read More: XanEdu and Flat World Knowledge to Lower The Cost of College Course Materials]]> We are excited to announce that XanEdu and Flat World Knowledge, the largest publisher of expert-authored and peer-reviewed open college textbooks, are partnering to offer a flexible way for educators to provide students with low-cost textbook and course pack alternatives.

The partnership addresses the growing need for affordable course content that professors can easily customize to better fit their teaching and course requirements.  The two companies are integrating Flat World’s MIYO (Make It Your Own) customization platform with XanEdu’s Folio-X e-learning platform for third party content.  Educators now have the ability to pair selections from Flat World’s catalog of open textbooks with any other third party content.

“Flat World Knowledge has a unique and progressive business model focused on high-value content at low cost,” said Alar Elken, Chief Executive Officer, XanEdu Publishing, Inc. “Our combined vision is to extend this value proposition to customers in ways that dramatically streamline the aggregation process and reduce the cost of highly personalized textbook alternatives. In addition, our combined customers will have the option to transform Flat World content into dynamic, interactive and engaging digital experiences that enhance learning, encourage collaboration, and improve learning outcomes.  We’re excited to be working with a partner that values customer choice, flexibility and active integration.”

XanEdu will provide the aggregation and copyright clearance services of the third party content, and then package and deliver the course materials to students in a variety of popular formats, including XanEdu’s award-winning Folio-X e-learning platform for the iPad and Android tablets.

“I have always admired XanEdu’s commitment to personalized courses, and their ability to work with faculty to ensure that their course materials really match instruction,” said Jeff Shelstad, CEO and Co-Founder of Flat World Knowledge. “Flat World’s focus on personalization complements XanEdu’s, and our flexible content will better support their efforts worldwide.”

Educators often combine textbook chapters with a variety of third-party sources, including journal and newspaper articles, cases, multimedia and personal lecture notes. Professors need flexible and easily accessible content choices from a variety of disparate sources combined with copyright clearance services and innovative delivery options that meet the needs of today’s mobile students.

The combined XanEdu-Flat World solution is currently available to educators by calling 1-800-218-5971 option 6 or requesting an estimate at http://www2.xanedu.com/low-cost.  The two companies plan to have a more advanced online integration completed by the summer of 2012.

Both companies will be speaking and exhibiting at the CAMEX Campus Market Expo 2012, March 2-6 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, UT. Visit XanEdu at booth #1623 and Flat World Knowledge at booth #3223 in the New Exhibitor Area.  Also see us at:

Future Growth with Digital Delivery, Print-on-Demand Technology, and Open Textbooks

Fri., March 2 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.

Room: 151 ABC

Block: 2 Session: 2-9
Jeff Shelstad, co-presenter

Product Spotlight featuring XanEdu and Flat World Knowledge

Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 2:30 p.m.– 3:45 p.m.

Room: Ballroom Section H

In addition, XanEdu and Flat World Knowledge are sponsors of the NACS Media Solutions “Grow Custom” initiative that is offering new and viable custom publishing options sold through college bookstores.

Lucy Miskin of XanEdu Copley Custom Textbooks shares her insight on how custom publishing and a personal touch can benefit First-Year Experience programs:

Every institution of higher education has its . . . → Read More: How First-Year Experience Programs Can Benefit From Custom Publishing]]> XanEdu and Copley Custom Textbooks is a sponsor of the 31st Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience.  The event kicks off tomorrow in San Antonio, TX.

Lucy Miskin of XanEdu Copley Custom Textbooks shares her insight on how custom publishing and a personal touch can benefit First-Year Experience programs:

Every institution of higher education has its own unique personality. Many schools have found that a custom textbook developed especially for the school is a great way to express that personality to first-year students.

XanEdu Copley Custom Textbooks can range from an expanded handbook with important phone numbers, study tips, and your mission statement to an expansive anthology with carefully selected previously published articles and essays that reflect your school’s goals, or perhaps something in between. We offer cover design for our textbooks that continue the theme of the text. Some schools choose to incorporate a photo of something important on the campus while others choose student art or a student design.

Copley has been publishing custom textbooks for FYE courses for more than two decades, working with all types of institutions.  Our customers choose us because of the services we provide:

• We provide 100% copyright compliance. We do not limit what you can include; we will research the possibility of including any selection.

• We work with the professor or department one-on-one throughout the process. We proofread and copy edit original material, assist with development of the text including suggesting content, design a custom layout, and prepare a custom cover design.

• Electronic texts are available using our Folio-X digital publishing platform. With Folio-X, students can download their text to any desktop or laptop computer, iPad, or Android tablet. Our tablet apps allow for highlighting, note taking, searching for key words and collaboration.

• We work with the campus bookstore to determine order quantity and fulfillment. We guarantee on-time delivery.

Some of our author/editors have worked with Copley on reprints and revisions for as long as twenty years. They find that annual or two-year cycle revisions are easily done, usually just tweaking to update the textbook.

One of our first year programs has said the following about their Copley textbook:

“. . . how happy we all are with the reader for the Introduction to Liberal Studies class. The response that I’ve had from the professors using the book in classes has been great. The book looks great, the format is very readable, and we are proud to have it! It has also been helpful to get the word out about the Liberal Studies program here on campus. We have a new president, a new provost, and a new dean this year, so the Lib reader has been a nice way to introduce them to some of the work that we are doing in our classes.

“I know I would have dropped the project last April if you had not given me a nudge and walked me through the process, step-by-step. Not that it was at all complicated; however, last spring it seemed like one more thing to do at the end of a very busy year. Your gentle approach—‘just send me the material you have and we’ll see what we can do’—was helpful, and indeed, we got the project done on time. I’m very happy to have the book now, and I’m especially glad to have it for first-time teachers in Liberal Studies.”

We will be in Booth #68 at the FYE conference. Please stop by to say Hello and  learn more about developing a custom textbook for your campus.   We will provide you with our Custom Publishing Guide and show you examples of the many custom FYE textbooks that we have published.  We look forward  to visiting with you at the conference.