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School skips textbooks in favor of digital learning environment

Posted at 10:30 PM, Oct 06, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-07 00:30:33-04

WEST JORDAN, Utah -- A Utah institute of higher learning is partnering with a tech company to transition their school to a completely digital learning environment.

Broadview University is working with Apple to provide all of their students with iPads so the school can ditch textbooks completely in favor of ebooks.

Student Heidi Jessop said she is on board.

"I think it'll be very handy to have all the books right here, and it'll be very convenient, so I'm really excited about that,” she said.

Scott Taylor is another student who is excited about the change.

"The convenience of being able to download the book and use it even offline, to have it just available all the time... Of course it's better for the environment as well, so that's always a plus,” he said.

The measure will save the school and students at least a couple hundred dollars on the cost of textbooks. Scott Hill is the chair of the information technology program, and he said the weight issue is nice as well.

"One of the biggest advantages of going to the iPad obviously is having all your books on one platform,” he said. “No more broken backs lugging the backpacks to and from campus."

The school is giving full-time students scholarships to cover the cost of the iPad. Hill said they are excited to offer students a totally digital environment.

"We are actually on the leading edge of implementing the iPad as a vehicle for our textbooks and also as a means to better redefine our educational goals and our educational curriculum,” Hill said.