CourseSmart® Integrates With Desire2Learn® Learning Management System
Strategic Alliance to Streamline User Workflow and Enhance Access to Digital Educational Resources
SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CourseSmart®, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course materials, and Desire2Learn Incorporated, ("Desire2Learn"), a leading provider of enterprise teaching and learning platforms, today announced their partnership to provide an end-to-end integration that facilitates an efficient, one-stop process for students and faculty to access digital course materials. Students and faculty will have single sign-on access to CourseSmart's catalog of more than 20,000 eTextbooks and other digital course materials using the new CourseSmart integration within the Desire2Learn learning management system.
"CourseSmart joins an elite group of education companies that comprise the Desire2Learn Partner Network for content providers," said Jeremy Auger, chief operating officer at Desire2Learn. "The Partner Network aims to foster collaboration between eLearning brands with a similar passion for enhancing the user learning experience. Through this partnership, CourseSmart and Desire2Learn provide a more integrated, comprehensive and enriched learning solution for higher education institutions and their users."
The CourseSmart integration within the Desire2Learn platform will enhance students' studies by utilizing CourseSmart's eTextbook features including search, copy and paste, highlight, annotate, share and print. The single sign-on functionality enables students and instructors to access CourseSmart's digital catalog via the Desire2Learn platform without having to remember a separate set of credentials for CourseSmart access.
The integration also provides instructors with free access to evaluate core higher education eTextbooks and eResources in use today from publishers who supply 90 percent of the market, and to select and use these course materials effortlessly in their Desire2Learn courses.
Without leaving the Desire2Learn course, instructors can easily create links to a required reading assignment, homework problems or other activities that reside in their digital course materials, and seamlessly share that information with their students.
"CourseSmart is continually exploring new partnership opportunities that allow us to further streamline both the student and faculty's workflow, ensuring that our digital course materials are readily available and easily accessible by all," said Sean Devine, chief executive officer at CourseSmart. "Students will now be able to access their required course materials directly from within their Desire2Learn courses, while instructors will be able to easily find, adopt and pair course materials, all without leaving the Desire2Learn platform. Our collaborative efforts will have a measurable impact on enhancing access to digital course materials that ultimately, serve to improve learning outcomes for students."
Desire2Learn Incorporated is a world-leading provider of enterprise eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision, goals, and branding. Desire2Learn and its subsidiaries support more than six million learners worldwide. Clients include higher education, K-12, and healthcare as well as associations, government and other leading organizations. Founded in 1999, Desire2Learn has personnel in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. For more information, visit: http://www.Desire2Learn.com, call 1.519.772.0325 or toll-free 1.888.772.0325 (within North America), +44 808.234.4235 (U.K. and Europe), 0.800.452.069 (New Zealand) and 1.800.656.210 (Australia).
About CourseSmart®
As the world's largest provider of digital course materials, CourseSmart® connects education publishers to consumers by providing an efficient distribution platform for their best-selling content in digital form. Founded in 2007, the San Mateo, Calif.-based company provides services to four business segments: Online direct retail for students; Indirect distribution of course materials to students through bookstores; Online faculty textbook evaluation services; and Institutional solutions for faculty and students that are integrated within campus technology ecosystems. CourseSmart improves the educational process and experience by offering all users anywhere, any-time access to the course content they need, including those with vision- and print-related disabilities. With more than 90% of the same core titles offered by major print publishers, the company's eTextbooks can be purchased for up to 60% less than the cost of new print textbooks. For more information about CourseSmart, visit the company's Web site at http://www.coursesmart.com.