Presentation from BISG's "What College Students Think: Making Information Pay for Higher Ed Publishing" Conference, held Feb 9, 2011 in NYC. TITLE: Creating Textbooks That Are 'Student Tested and Faculty Approved DESCRIPTION: Since its launch in 2007, 4LTR Press, a division of Cengage Learning, has demonstrated how a student-tested, faculty-approved product development approach can produce increased engagement and tremendous outcomes in the classroom. Neil Marquardt will discuss how 4LTR Press managed to break the traditional textbook publishing mold with an innovative approach to development, design, pricing, and marketing that brought a new breed of textbook to more than one million students.

1. 4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011
Neil Marquardt, Director

2. 4LTR Press Snapshot
• MKTG published in March 2007
• 60 4LTR Press solutions available
• Business
• Social Sciences
• Math & Science
• Student Tested, Faculty Approved
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011

3. “Student Tested” Format & Medium
• Capture student preference and study behaviors for
each new product
• Focus groups & one-on-one conversations
• Surveys
• Intercepts
• Prototype iterations
• Over 12,000 students involved since January ’07
• Survey students on print and digital preferences during the
development stages and throughout course (once
adopted)
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011

4. Fall ’10 Research (Sample)
What most often gets in the way of When you study, what prevents
having or making time to study? you from doing so effectively?
15% 15%
32% 31%
9%
16%
2%
11%
25% 15%
6% Work Schedule 23%
Friends Length of Chapters
Other Academic Activites Unclear Expectations
Family Media Distractions
Commute
Motivation Lack of Useful Tools
I always have time I always study effectively
Based on 4LTR Press Research Conducted Fall 2010 with 337 Students
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011

5. Fall ‘10 Research (Sample)
What format do you prefer for How do professors present the
educational reading? eBook option?
9% 1% 11%
13%
22%
49%
53%
7%
28%
Recommend Print
7%
Mainly Print Interchangeable with Print
Mainly Digital Recommend eBook
Both, but more Print Purchase Both
Both, but more digital Never offered
Both Equally
Digital Up almost 10% since 2007
Based on 4LTR Press Research Conducted Fall 2010 with 337 Students
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011

6. “Faculty Approved” Content
• Then, we turn to faculty in each course area to vet
content and approach through:
• Webinars
• Surveys and one-on-one conversations
• Faculty review boards
• Over 4,000 faculty have participated (since January ’07)
• Faculty conduct extensive research with their students
through “use cases” and surveys in online and in-class
settings
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011

7. Stakeholders
Faculty &
Students
Administrators
Content
Bookstores
Providers
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011

8. Sales Model: One Price Fits All
Print + Digital
Option
Digital Option
Print Option
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011
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9. 4LTR Press… Four Years Later
Observations
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011

10. 4LTR Press
Thanks
4LTR PRESS | BISG CONFERENCE 2011