Digital Content – Courseware vs eBook

Many Access programs will deliver digital content. In equitable access models, the adoptions are typically prioritized to be delivered digitally. As faculty, during the adoption process, you will choose a book or courseware to be adopted for your course. If a digital version of the textbook is available, then Follett will adopt an eBook for this course. If you have chosen to adopt a digital courseware with online homework and digital quizzes, then those will need to be set up in the learning management system as courseware; or built in partnership with the publisher for direct online access by your students. There will be vastly different links for BryteWave eBook vs online Courseware products that you will have to play a role in setting up within your campus Learning Management System.

Types of Course Materials Adopted in Access Programs

Physical Materials 

These are physical textbooks that must be picked up from the bookstore or requested to ship. They can be new, used or even rental products. When these materials are available to be picked up at your campus store, students will receive a confirmation email from Follett confirming that it is time to pick up their course materials for the term.

If students drop their course or plan on opting out of the inclusive/Equitable Access program, they will need to return these physical course materials back to the campus bookstore to avoid additional course materials charges from the program.

Because these materials are physical, there are no digital links within the Learning Management System for these products.

Physical Confirmation Email Sample

BryteWave eBook

BryteWave is the platform for all Follett digital eBooks. BryteWave digital eBooks can be accessed directly online or from links you or your LMS (Learning Management System) admin have set up within your campus learning management system. 

Students can access their eBook at: BryteWave eReader (redshelf.com)

Students will receive an Email with a link to their online BryteWave bookshelf and it will provide them with a temporary password. Students should follow the link in that email, or they can log in directly from URL above and use the temporary password provided in the email sent to them by BryteWave powered by Redshelf.

BryteWave Activation Email Sample

As the instructor of the course, you may also set up a link in your Learning Management System to BryteWave Course Materials. This link would typically be placed within your Campuses Learning Management System either under modules or in content area depending on what Learning Management system is being used.

Additional Learning Management System instructions for linking BryteWave to your Learning Management System will be found in additional articles.

Once placed, the Link could look like: 

Once students click into their BryteWave eBook Shelf, they will see all digital books that have been delivered to them. This shelf is their account, and they will have all books on their account on this shelf.

As the instructor of record for a course with a BryteWave adoption you will also receive a copy of the BryteWave eBook as well. Your experience will be the same as the student's experience. You will just receive your email and book on your shelf earlier than your students. For detailed student experience for BryteWave eBooks, see BryteWave Student Experience Article.

Courseware/Online Homework Products

Courseware is content that was created to be delivered digitally. These types of products are more akin to online homework and digital lab content. Products that require the student to work inside the digital environment to complete tasks/assignments. Examples would be Pearson’s MyLab, Cengage’s MindTap or McGraw Hill’s Connect. Outside of Follett ACCESS these products are typically delivered as access code cards packaged with physical materials or access codes are sold direct from the publisher via websites. 

With Inclusive and Equitable Access models these digital courseware products can be delivered and accessed in several ways.

1. Codeless access via Learning Management System
2. Activation code needed to activate product in the Learning Management System or direct on publisher’s platform.
   • Code can be delivered via digital (Email or BryteWave code reveal) or physical code to be picked up at the store.

All courseware products (MyLab, WileyPlus, Connect, LaunchPad, MindTap, etc..) require that you as the instructor do something to build the course in the publisher’s platform and then provide directions or a link on how students can access this product. These products contain online quizzes, tests, digital assignments, and are typically auto graded. All courseware products will also contain a separate link to their own version of the digital textbook for reading assignments.

Courseware Types

Digital Content Process Flow

The chart below will help to outline if digital content will be on the student’s BryteWave bookshelf (higher pathway), or courseware linked directly to Learning Management system and accessed outside of BryteWave bookshelf.

Note: That for Pearson MyLab/Mastering/REVEL courseware products, codes are delivered via BryteWave bookshelf and then those codes are used on the Pearson platform separately via the Pearson LMS (Learning Management System) link or Pearson platform online.