Dubai: An increase in demand for digital books has been noted in universities in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as they transition to all-digital curriculums.
“Leading universities in the Mena region, and countries represented by the Gulf Cooperation Council, are transitioning to all-digital curriculums, and we are pleased with the ongoing adoption and growth of e-textbooks,” Gaurav Parwanda, Chief Executive Officer of Panworld Education, said.
“Educational institutions are looking to provide their students with digital content that can be accessed anywhere, anytime and securely,” he added.
To cater to the growing demand for e-textbooks, Panworld Education has selected the Vital Source Bookshelf platform from the US to power e-textbook solutions for students and academic institutions in the UAE and throughout the Mena region.
The platform is the most used e-textbook delivery option in higher education with more than 3.25 million users across 6,000 campuses around the world.
“This platform will have a huge impact on students when accessing information. Traditionally, students have to carry bulky textbooks. But today’s generation is very digital. We need to meet students at their level and that is to allow them to have the convenience of having access to information at their fingertips anytime, anywhere, using their smartphones and tablet devices,” Kiran Kishan Singh, director of marketing at Panworld Education, told Gulf News.
Singh said educational institutions can easily link students and faculty through the platform. Learning, note-taking, note-sharing, among others, will be easier.
In the UAE, the Higher Colleges of Technology and Zayed University are already implementing full e-textbook platforms. Other universities are hoping to do the same, Kent Freeman, Chief Operating Officer, Vital Source Technologies, said.
“More institutions are looking for flexible digital content with multiple delivery options for their students and educators, and Vital Source helps resellers around the world provide a comprehensive and scalable e-textbook solution to customers,” Freeman said.
