Confidence Through Engagement
ZYBOOKS VS. TRADITIONAL TEXTBOOKS
- With a single lesson, zyBooks improved student performance by 16%.
- Least-prepared students improved by 64%.
- Students self-reported significantly higher levels of engagement with the zyBook.
- Students voluntarily spent twice as long with the zyBook, even though the zyBook had half the text.
- 96% of instructors polled recognize zyBooks for boosting their students’ confidence with the subject matter.
Improve Grades
ZYBOOKS IMPROVE STUDENT LETTER GRADES UP TO ⅔
- Across 4 courses at 3 universities (Univ. of Michigan, Univ. of Arizona, and UC Davis).
- Comparing students in the same course that switched from traditional textbooks to zyBooks, with the same instructor and semester of year.
- Students using zyBooks received more As/Bs and fewer Ds/Fs.
- zyBooks significantly improved exam and project grades.
Motivate Reading
HOW MANY POINTS SHOULD BE AWARDED FOR INTERACTIVE TEXTBOOK READING ASSIGNMENTS?
- Will students read if awarded points? Yes, 74% more.
- Will students “cheat” system to get points? No, most students will be earnest.
- How many points should be awarded? 5 – 10 points in total (out of 100 course points).
Smaller, Smarter Textbook
STUDENTS LEARN MORE WITH LESS TEXT THAT COVERS THE SAME CORE TOPICS
- Students learned 118% more in a single-lesson with minimal text.
- Minimal text preserves substance, conveying the same content with more precise language.
- Methods: Avoid extra words/phrases, use declarative sentences, move text to tables where appropriate.
- Students self-reported a significant preference for minimal text.
Students work earnestly
STUDENTS WILL EARNESTLY ATTEMPT INTERACTIVE WEB MATERIAL
- When using zyBooks, fewer than 2% of students blatantly “cheat the system”.’
- Despite the availability of the answer, the overwhelming majority of students will make an earnest attempt at completion.
White Papers
- F. Vahid, A. Pang, K. Downey, and C. Gordon. Impact of Several Low-Effort Cheating-Reduction Methods in a CS1 Class paper
- C. Gordon, R. Lysecky, and F. Vahid. The rise of the zyLab program auto-grader in introductory CS courses, 2021. paper
- J. Kelly, J. Bruno, and A. Edgcomb. Theory to Practice: Closing the Gap in Undergraduate Math to Reduce Student Attrition, 2021. paper
- C. Gordon, R. Lysecky, and F. Vahid. The Shift From Static College Textbooks to Customizable Content: A Case Study at zyBooks, 2021. paper
Conference & Journal Publications
- C. Gordon, R. Lysecky, F. Vahid. Less Is More: Students Skim Lengthy Online Textbooks, IEEE Transactions on Education, 2022. paper
- J. Kelley, A. Edgcomb, J. Bruno, C. Gordon, and F. Vahid. Theory to Practice: Reducing Student Attrition in Online Undergraduate Math, International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2022. paper
- F. Vahid, R. Lysecky, B. Miller, L. Vanderbeek. Coding Trails: Concise Representations of Student Behavior on Programming Tasks,Proceedings of ASEE Virtual Conference, 2021. paper
- C. Gordon, R. Lysecky, and F. Vahid, The Rise of Program Auto-grading in Introductory CS Courses: A Case Study of zyLabs,
- Proceedings of ASEE Virtual Conference, 2021. paper
- C. Gordon, R. Lysecky, and F. Vahid. The shift from static college textbooks to customizable content: A case study at zyBooks, Proceedings of IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, 2021. paper
- N. Sambamurthy, E.Kazakou , and Y. Rajasekhar. Student Usage of Interactive Learning Tools in an Online Linear Circuit Analysis Textbook, Proceedings of ASEE Virtual Conference, 2021. paper
- J. M. Allen, and F. Vahid. An Analysis of Using Coral Many Small Programs in CS1, Proceedings of CCSC
Southwestern Conference, 2021. paper - D. McKinney, A. Edgcomb, R. Lysecky, and F. Vahid. Improving Pass Rates by Switching from a Passive to an Active Learning Textbook in CS0, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2020. paper
- F. Vahid, J. Allen, A. Edgcomb, and R. Lysecky. Using the free Coral language and simulator to simplify first-year programming courses, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2020. paper
- Y.Rajasekhar, A. Edgcomb, and F. Vahid. Student Usage of Digital Design Interactive Learning Tools in an Online Textbook, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2019. paper
- N. Sambamurthy, A. Edgcomb, and Y. Rajasekhar. Student Usage of Interactive Learning Tools in an Online Linear Circuit Analysis Textbook, Proceedings of IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, 2019. paper
- Liberatore, M.W. and K. Chapman. Identifying Challenging Spreadsheet Skills Using Reading and Homework Analytics from an Interactive Textbook, In the Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Meeting, 2019. paper
- N.Sambamurthy, A Edgcomb, and F. Vahid. Animations for Learning: Design Philosophy and Student Usage in Interactive Textbooks, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2019. paper
- Liberatore, M.W. and K. Chapman. Reading Anytime: Do Students Complete Missed Readings After the Due Date When Using an Interactive Textbook for Material and Energy Balances?, In the Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Meeting, 2019. paper
- M.W. Liberatore. Making Textbooks Student-Centered, University of Toledo Future of Higher Education Forum, Toledo, OH, April 2019. talk
- Liberatore, M.W. and K. Roach. Quantifying Self-guided Repetition Within an Interactive Textbook for a Material and Energy Balances Course, In the Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Meeting, 2018. paper
- J. M. Allen, F. Vahid, K. Downey, and A. Edgcomb. Weekly Programs in a CS1 Class: Experiences with Auto-graded Many-small Programs (MSP), Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2018 (best paper nominee). paper
- A. Edgcomb, N. Sambamurthy, D. Gulvady, and S. Kasula. Student Usage of Small Auto-graded MATLAB Coding Exercises, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2018 (best paper nominee). paper
- N. Sambamurthy and A. Edgcomb. A Systematic Literature Review of Misconceptions in Linear Circuit Analysis, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2018. paper
- N. Alzahrani, F. Vahid, A. Edgcomb, R. Lysecky, and S. Lysecky. An Analysis of Common Errors Leading to Excessive Student Struggle on Homework Problems in an Introductory Programming Course, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2018. paper
- N. Alzahrani, F. Vahid, A. Edgcomb, K. Nguyen, and R. Lysecky. Python versus C++: An analysis of student struggle on small coding exercises in introductory programming courses, ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, 2018. paper
- A. Edgcomb and F. Vahid. Interactive, Language-neutral Flowcharts and Pseudocode for Teaching Core CS0/1 Programming Concepts: (Abstract Only), ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, 2018. paper
- A. Edgcomb, F. Vahid, R. Lysecky, and S. Lysecky. Getting students to earnestly do reading, studying, and homework in an introductory programming class, ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, March 2017. paper
- M.W. Liberatore. An Interactive Web Native Textbook for Material and Energy Balances, AIChE Education Division Webinar, February, 2017. talk
- Liberatore, M.W. High Textbook Reading Rates When Using an Interactive Textbook For a Material and Energy Balances Course, Chemical Engineering Education, 2017. paper
- Liberatore, M.W. Reading analytics and student performance when using an interactive textbook for a material and energy balances course, In the Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Meeting, 2017. paper
- Liberatore, M.W. An Interactive Web Native Textbook for Material and Energy Balances, In the Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Meeting, 2016. paper
- J. Yuen, A. Edgcomb, and F. Vahid. Will Students Earnestly Attempt Learning Questions if Answers are Viewable?, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 2016. paper
- A. Edgcomb and F. Vahid. Simplifying a Course to Reduce Student Stress so Students Can Focus Again on Learning, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 2016. paper
- F. Vahid, S. Lysecky, and A. Edgcomb. Introduction to Computing Technology: New Interactive Animated Web-Based Learning Content, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 2016. paper
- F. Vahid, A. Edgcomb, S. Lysecky, and R. Lysecky. New Web-Based Interactive Learning Material for Digital Design, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 2016. paper
- F. Vahid, A. Edgcomb, B. Miller, and T. Givargis. Learning Materials for Introductory Embedded Systems Programming using a Model-Based Discipline, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 2016. paper
- F. Vahid, D. de Haas, S. Strawn, A. Edgcomb, S. Lysecky, R. Lysecky. A Continual Improvement Paradigm for Modern Online Textbooks. Int. Conf. of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI), Spain, Nov. 2015. paper
- A. Edgcomb, D. De Haas, R. Lysecky, F. Vahid. Student usage and behavioral patterns with online interactive textbook materials. Int. Conf. of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI), Spain, Nov. 2015. paper
- A. Edgcomb, F. Vahid. How Many Points Should Be Awarded for Interactive Textbook Reading Assignments? Proc. of Frontiers in Education conference (FIE), El Paso, Oct. 2015. paper
- A. Edgcomb, F. Vahid, R. Lysecky. Students Learn More with Less Text that Covers the Same Core Topics, Proc. of Frontiers in Education conference (FIE), El Paso, Oct. 2015. paper
- A. Edgcomb, F. Vahid, R. Lysecky, A. Knoesen, R. Amirtharajah, and M.L. Dorf. Student Performance Improvement using Interactive Textbooks: A Three-University Cross-Semester Analysis, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, Seattle, June 2015. (Best paper award) paper
- A. Edgcomb, J. Yuen, F. Vahid. Experiments in Student Crowdsourcing of Practice Question and Animation Creation, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, Seattle, June 2015. paper
- A. Edgcomb, F. Vahid. Effectiveness of Online Textbooks vs. Interactive Web-Native Content, Proc. of ASEE Annual Conference, Indianapolis, June 2014. (Best paper award) paper
- E. Kazakou, A. Edgcomb, Y. Rajasekhar, R. Lysecky, and F. Vahid. Randomized, Structured, Auto-graded Homeworks: Design Philosophy and Engineering Examples, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2021. paper / talk
- A. Edgcomb, F. Vahid, and R. Lysecky. Coral: An Ultra-Simple Language For Learning to Program, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, 2019. paper