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Fully Integrated Solutions Go Beyond the Links

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Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. The company serves the higher education, K-12, professional, library and workforce training markets worldwide. Cengage creates learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA with an office hub in San Francisco. Employees reside in nearly 40 countries with sales in more than 125 countries around the world. Visit us at Cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Digital learning solutions are offering instructors and students more ways to engage with course content than ever before. With seamless log¬in now a standard of LMS integration, instructors and administrators are looking for LMS integration to go farther in helping them achieve their mission of improving student outcomes. This new frontier of LMS integration is defined by learning solutions that provide customizable content, automatic grade return and personalized instructor services — three powerful ways to increase student engagement and decrease instructor workload.

WHAT DO LMS ADMINISTRATORS NEED? Cengage’s market research team conducted in-depth research with 50 LMS administrators at a large technology conference1 to better understand how they are integrating course solutions and what they need a “fully integrated” course solution to accomplish. The administrators represented a diverse range of institutions using a wide range of LMSs (Figure 1).

While the backgrounds, institutions and platforms of the administrators interviewed varied, their insights were consistent. Administrators overwhelmingly said they need to be involved with instructors and learning solutions providers before the rubber hits the road. Far too frequently administrators are brought into the process after the adoption decision has been made for a learning solution platform, which excludes an important voice from the process. Administrators also struggle with educating departments on the keys to successful LMS integration. One administrator says, “Faculty who have not had any training on integrating content into their LMS are now asking us which provider offers the best integration experience.” Clearly LMS administrators are feeling overwhelmed by the number of instructors adopting integrated content solutions and need help educating instructors on LMS integration.

Figure 1. What LMS is your institution currently using?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Blackboard

Moodle

Canvas

eCollege

Sakai

Desire2Learn

40%29%

16%7%

4%4%

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LMS administrators were asked what features of LMS integration are most important to them (Figure 3). The results illuminate how certain features — specifically seamless registration and access and gradebook integration — are must-haves for any integrated digital learning resource. Having to sign in to multiple resources is a pain point for both instructors and students, and LMS administrators believe that single sign-on is required for any true integrated solution. An integrated gradebook is also essential for an integrated digital solution to truly reduce instructor workload, as many institutions require course grades to be reported in an institution’s LMS. While digital learning solutions are becoming the standard for course materials, administrators who use metrics as a resource said they need to be able to show the efficacy of digital solutions.

Figure 2. LMS share at higher education institutions with 500+ full time equivalent students as of spring 2016. Source: www.edutechnica.com.

Desire2Learn

Moodle

Sakai

Pearson

Other

None

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Canvas

Blackboard

Angel 2.1%31.9%

15.3%8.5%

19.1%3.8%

14.5%6%

6.9%

The Evolving National LMS Landscape

Recent data from Edutechnica shows that Blackboard Learn continues to be the dominant LMS — used at 32% of U.S. higher ed institutions and by 44% of college students nationwide (Figure 2). Canvas takes second place to Blackboard by student enrollment (23.3%), while Moodle holds the number two spot by number of institutions (19.1%). Clearly, LMSs are here to stay: only 6.9% of the nearly 4,000 institutions represented do not use an LMS.

The organization’s fall 2015 update noted that migrating to a different solution has become easier and less costly in the last five years, and that more schools are moving to different LMS products.

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Figure 3. What are the 3 most important features to LMS integration of digital learning solutions?

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Seamless single sign-on

Gradebook integration

Automaticrostering

Engagement/use metrics

Communicationintegration

Assignmentoptions and parameters

Social media integration

90%88%

41%39%

32%12%

7%

A common thread throughout the conversations is that administrators want integrated solutions that instructors can manage on their own with minimal oversight. The current reality is that LMS administrators feel they are being utilized by instructors as a help desk when issues with their integrated digital learning solution arise. One administrator says, “We do not have the resources to go help each department with all of their learning solution problems.” In addition to learning solutions that provide the best integration features, administrators and instructors need a provider that is available to help instructors solve problems.

INSTRUCTORS Because administrators need integrated digital learning solutions that “just work” for instructors, the student and instructor experience with integrated learning solutions is the crux of LMS integration. To better understand the needs of instructors, three current MindTap customers using Cengage’s LMS integration service were interviewed for this paper — Cindy Forse, a medical technology instructor at Lord Fairfax Community College; Michelle McCargish, a history instructor at Western New Mexico University; and LaKeita Carter, a psychology instructor at the Community College of Baltimore County. These instructors’ feedback clearly shows that their needs align with those of their LMS administrator colleagues. Single sign-on and service top the list of needs for these instructors. However, the experiences of these instructors show that there is more to a successful digital learning solution integration than just selecting a platform.

Because administrators need integrated digital learning solutions that “just work” for instructors, the student and instructor experience with integrated learning solutions is the crux of LMS integration.

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COURSE PREPARATION: THE KEY TO SUCCESS Cindy uses MindTap in her Medical Terminology course and believes it is essential for instructors using MindTap or any other integrated digital learning solution to work closely with the provider. “The upfront work with a Cengage digital solutions consultant is the most important thing to do before launching MindTap in any course,” says Cindy. Cindy’s Cengage service representative provided her with short instructional videos and documents that showed students how to set up their devices to use MindTap. “Educating the students upfront on how to use MindTap effectively was the main reason why I have had so much success using MindTap in my course,” says Cindy. Cindy credits her Cengage service representative with helping her set up her course and train students so they could hit the ground running on day one. “It’s been amazing,” Cindy says of her service experience with Cengage.

While preparation on course setup is crucial when setting up an integrated solution, questions will undoubtedly arise throughout the semester that instructors and students need to quickly resolve. Having a seamlessly integrated learning solution is not enough — instructors need to also have support throughout the semester in case problems emerge. Michelle McCargish felt that digital learning solutions providers must offer this level of service to all users. “Cengage offered some of the best tech support I have ever experienced…the support for MindTap as well as the training I received on setting up my MindTap course was phenomenal. I even received periodic check-ins from the digital course support team to make sure I had everything I needed,” says Michelle.

Cindy and Michelle’s positive experiences are due to the focus Cengage places on personalized services. Cengage employs 56 Digital Solutions Coordinators, 50 Implementation and Training Specialists and 80 Technical Support agents for a total of 186 experienced, highly credentialed professionals who are dedicated to helping instructors improve their students’ level of engagement and their outcomes in the classroom. Cengage’s service professionals are focused on the proactive implementation of digital learning solutions which includes course setup and customization, answers and advice, and regular check-ins. This high level of support allows instructors to focus on instruction and course preparation and minimize the menial tasks associated with course setup.

A TRULY INTEGRATED EXPERIENCE Instructors using LMS integration for MindTap have found that its seamless user experience has exceeded their expectations. “After using other digital learning solutions, I found [this Cengage integration] to be the only integration solution that provides a seamless, fully-integrated experience,” says Michelle. Echoing LMS administrators’ call for a seamless user experience, Michelle believes that the ability to customize her course by adding links to specific learning activities offers her students a true integration experience that makes accessing her course easier. “The deep links within the LMS means I don’t have to worry about students using a separate password or getting lost going to a separate Website. Links containing all of their assignments are right there when they log into their LMS,” says Michelle.

End-to-End Testing

To ensure a seamless experience for students, administrators and instructors, Cengage conducts end-to-end testing with institutions that are using four or more integrated Cengage solutions. Cengage’s Implementation and Training Specialists conduct this testing so administrators can be confident that they will not encounter issues with Cengage’s digital learning solutions once the semester begins. End-to-end testing is one more example of Cengage’s commitment to White Glove service.

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A truly integrated solution should offer benefits to both students and instructors. Cindy customizes her course by placing the chapters directly into her Blackboard course so students can go right into their assigned chapters for the week in their packet. She has found that using Cengage’s integration service for MindTap has reduced her workload significantly. “With the content and assignments integrated directly into the weekly LMS packet, students know exactly what they have to do and where they need to go. The assignment grades flow directly into my gradebook, which allows me to focus on answering student questions that come up during the week,” says Cindy. Cengage’s LMS integration automates menial tasks like grading which allows instructors to increase their focus on engaging with students.

TOOLS THAT ENGAGE While seamless user experience and service are must-haves for integrated learning solutions, learning solution tools that engage students is what initially draws instructors to a digital learning solution. LaKeita Carter worried that the assignments for her psychology courses at the Community College of Baltimore County were not doing enough to engage students. She wanted to find a new digital learning solution that engaged different learning styles. “I immediately saw that the assignments in MindTap offered a variety of approaches,” says LaKeita. Michelle had a similar experience, finding that MindTap’s exercises and assignments were effective at reaching different learning styles and encouraging critical thinking. Her students appreciated that the chapter assignments were varied and did not just repeat the same template. Michelle also believes that the exercises encouraged students to pay more careful attention to their reading and focus on key concepts.“ For the first time students told me they were reading the textbook and understanding the concepts better,” says Michelle.

VOICE OF THE STUDENT A digital learning solution can have all of the integration capabilities and functionality that instructors and LMS administrators desire, but students must find a solution engaging for it to be truly effective. Students must also be able to easily access and navigate a learning solution as there is nothing more frustrating for students than not being able to access their assignments when up against a deadline. Cengage’s LMS integration ensures that students’ reading and assignments live alongside instructor content in a course’s LMS. Michelle noticed how easily her students were able to navigate the MindTap interface. “The learning path is a significant benefit to students. It helps guide the students through the material as well as point them toward flash cards and other content and exercises that help when they are struggling with the assignments,” says Michelle. Having an interface that feels familiar to students will go a long way in engaging them. LaKeita informally polled the top students in her class to find out what they thought about MindTap. “They told me it felt very ‘app-y’ – like the apps on their phones,” she says.

”The deep links within the LMS means I don’t have to worry about students using a separate password or getting lost going to a separate Website. Links containing all of their assignments are right there when they log into their LMS.”

Michelle McCargishHistory Instructor, Western New Mexico University

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CONCLUSION Fully integrated learning solutions may sound like a simple concept, but there are several key pieces to a successful integration experience:

SEAMLESS USER EXPERIENCE: Solutions that can be accessed seamlessly through a course LMS are becoming the standard for digital learning solutions. Instructors want a “one stop shop” — a single access point for students.

CONTENT CUSTOMIZATION WITH DEEP LINKING: Digital learning solutions that allow instructors to place its content and assignments alongside their own content in a course’s LMS is an essential piece to a fully integrated solution. This allows instructors to focus on the materials that matter most.

AUTOMATIC GRADE RETURN: Selecting a digital learning solution that is synchronized with the course LMS gradebook will go a long way in saving instructors time and effort.

PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTOR SERVICES: All three of the instructors interviewed cited course preparation as the reason why they have had such a successful integration experience with MindTap. Having a learning solution provider that works alongside the instructor to prep the course, provide training, and troubleshoot any potential issues will ensure that instructors and students can hit the ground running on the first day of class.

COLLABORATION: Select a learning solutions provider that will work in harmony with both LMS administrators and instructors. An effective learning solutions provider will be able to speak the language of both administrators and instructors and understand the specific needs of an institution.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: A digital learning solution will not be successful if it does not effectively engage students. Selecting a digital learning solution that addresses different learning styles — as well as a user-experience that is familiar to students — is essential to student success.

1 2013 EDUCAUSE Conference

Students must also be able to easily access and navigate a learning solution as there is nothing more frustrating for students than not being able to access their assignments when up against a deadline. Cengage’s LMS integration ensures that students’ reading and assignments live alongside instructor content in a course’s LMS.

Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. The company serves the higher education, K-12, professional, library and workforce training markets worldwide. Cengage creates learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA with an office hub in San Francisco. Employees reside in nearly 40 countries with sales in more than 125 countries around the world. Visit us at Cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Copyright ©2017 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.

Source Code: M180000011224

ISBN: 978-1-285-96502-4

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