The University of Iowa’s inclusive access program, ICON Direct, hits a new achievement, with a total of over $11.2 million in student savings as of the end of the academic year 2023-2024.

“We are excited to see the program grow and continue to benefit students,” says Valerie Henessee, ICON Direct eText coordinator. “Beyond the cost savings, students have also told me they appreciate the digital nature of the materials. Features like text-to-speech and flashcards allow students to study on the go.”

Open Educational Resources (OER), which are free digital texts, and Top Hat Classroom Pro, a student classroom engagement tool, are available through ICON Direct in addition to the digital textbooks and publisher platforms that are the focus of the program.

“Instructors tell us how much they appreciate students having their digital textbooks in the ICON classroom at the start of the semester. The publisher platforms are extremely popular because they encourage student engagement,” according to Vicky Maloy, associate director, Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology Academic Technologies.

The textbook adoption period for winter 2024 and spring 2025 begins Tuesday, Oct. 1, and ends Monday, Dec. 23. You can place your textbook orders with the ICON Direct Ordering Tool.

Please reach out to Valerie at ICON-Direct@uiowa.edu for assistance.