MP, which serves over 25,000 undergrad and 5,000 graduate students at San Diego State University, as well as students from 12 other California colleges and universities, made the move in response to increased demand for custom digital learning materials. With the Symtext enterprise approach to custom learning materials assembly and distribution at its disposal, MP expects to increase its reach well beyond these schools in the near future.
Currently, MP produces over 100,000 coursepacks a year with active plans to expand its business. To meet that objective, a platform was required that addressed several needs:
- Promote MP?s role as the definitive custom publishing solution for SDSU students and faculty, as well as its other partner campuses.
- Provide seamless integration with existing MP custom publishing work processes.
- Access to advanced learning materials assembly and e-reading features such as optimization for iPad and Android devices.
- Multiple solutions for both billing and student access.
?The SDSU Bookstore and Montezuma Publishing have been offering digital solutions to students since 2006 and we continually look to add to and improve our offerings with innovative solutions,? says Todd Summer, Aztec Shops? director of campus stores. ?Symtext has offered us a unique opportunity in the course pack space, offering an innovative solution that we can use at SDSU and Montezuma Publishing?s other partner campuses.?
MP General Manager Kim Mazyck adds that the advanced Symtext platform is user friendly for students and faculty alike.
?Symtext can make almost anything, even scanned material, completely interactive,? says Mazyck. ?Students will enjoy a quality, portable learning experience with our custom course packs. Full color print is expensive and faculty can now have an affordable, full color digital course pack that will enhance the student experience.?
Ian Barker, Symtext?s Founder, says, ?Symtext?s Liquid Textbook platform and business model are changing the face of custom digital learning materials assembly and distribution. With a sophisticated yet affordable way for partners to reach more faculty and students more easily and less expensively, the benefits to students are clear: better learning materials solutions at affordable prices.?
Symtext?s Liquid Textbook platform is an enterprise level digital learning materials SaaS (Software as a Service) platform designed for schools ? usually in partnership with the campus store ? to source, assemble and distribute custom, HTML5, mobile, social, digital learning materials.
Partners using the Liquid Textbook platform benefit from a number of features and services:
- Liquid Textbook Builder: Easy to use assembly tools which include full text previews, dynamic pricing, admin and account management tools, and mobile access.
- Liquid Textbook Readers: HTML5, social, device neutral, mobile. Integrated across platforms so that annotations and other new content appear across all devices in real time.
- Flexible authentication and commercialization options: Customize access methods, such as Single Sign On via the LMS, with a variety of sales methods including e-commerce and pin codes sold in-store or online.
- Highly advanced OCR and document conversion technology: Symtext can take virtually any file, including very low quality digital scans, and produce a searchable, highlightable, “active” document.
- Content: Includes chapters, cases, videos, presentations, links, and self-authored materials.
- Branding: Present the school or campus store logos and colors to faculty and students
- Online and offline apps: Symtext?s offline apps download all available materials, while synchronizing annotations and comments between offline and online modes.
- Search: Lightning fast document searching and universal searching.
- Instant updates: Modify the contents of a Liquid Textbook at any time with the inclusion of links, videos, articles, self-authored materials etc.
- Sophisticated permissions management tools: Ability to implement detailed permissions, from pricing to printing, for every item in a Liquid Textbook.
- Custom Metrics: Schools concerned about losing usage and learning patterns data to large online booksellers now have a solution.
Montezuma Publishing has been a recognized leader in the custom course packet market for over 30 years. Our comprehensive copyright management services coupled with our record of quality and dependability provides academic institutions and students with an affordable, legal alternative to the traditional textbook. Montezuma Publishing takes great pride in the personal attention given to faculty, students, and campuses utilizing its permission based print and digital services.
Montezuma Publishing Press Contact
Campus Stores Director
(619) 594-7502
todd.summer AT sdsu.edu
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