Digital Education - Electronic Course Packs

Digital technology changed course pack production forever at BYU. Materials are now scanned and stored digitally, saving time and space.

About a decade ago, when copy machines emerged as digital printers, an opportunity arose at Brigham Young University Print Services. The digital printers could be used to produce course packs more efficiently.

The conversion to electronic packet printing from hard copy reproduction at BYU was not easy, though. It took countless mental adjustments, procedural changes and about six years of effort—but the results have made the effort well worthwhile.

Around 1980, nearly 10 years before the debut of production digital equipment—namely the Xerox DocuTech—Brigham Young University Print Services established copy centers on campus. This allowed professors to submit class manuals for short-run printing.

Within three years, more than 200 titles were printed from one production center and nine satellite centers around campus. Professors worked with copy center employees to prepare manuals, and copy centers printed and sold packets from each location.

The program came into being with little or no formal organization, and as it quickly expanded, the stacks of originals required an increasing amount of file space.

Digital Printers Arrive

When high-speed digital printers became available, they offered a new way of handling these stacks of paper.

The first stage of electronic packet creation was merely to scan hard copy originals. The dependability of the scanning process and quality of the printed page were definite improvements, but the filing of the original manuals did not change. At this point, less than half of the packet titles—which had grown to well over 300—were printed on one Xerox DocuTech. The rest of the packets were still being printed in satellite centers.

The number of titles continued to grow, and another DocuTech was purchased.

Then the BYU bookstore requested taking over the packet program to keep all retailing to students under its supervision. The bookstore agreed to work with professors, obtain copyright clearance and retail the packets, while the copy centers would continue to print them.

In 1996, a Xerox 6135 was added to the fleet of DocuTechs. It had expanded processing speed, which permitted faster RIPing—and thus printing—of electronic documents. The copy centers also added the Xerox DocuJob Converter and XDod software with accompanying hardware allowing documents scanned on DocuTechs to be sent and printed from the 6135. This new equipment was a lifesaver, as the number of titles had grown to over 500.

DigiPath Upgrade

Perhaps the biggest step made into the world of electronic course packs came in 1998. In tandem with the bookstore, the XDod system was upgraded to DigiPath with the scanner and book building software. The bookstore could now scan hard copy originals submitted by faculty members and set the documents up for printing.

The software print setup features bring several benefits:

• Chapter starts can be designated.

• Page numbering can be added.

• Different colors and/or types of paper can be selected for specific pages or groups of pages.

• Scanned and computer-generated images can be merged into one document.

• Electronic job ticketing allows for the selection of one- or two-sided printing, size and color of paper and quantity.

On To The Printer

Now ready for printing, the document, along with the job ticket, is sent to the Xerox printer. Jobs are automatically received into a "hold" queue at the printer in the copy center. When the operator is ready to print the job, the job specifications are viewed, the correct paper is loaded into the printer, and the job is moved into a release queue. After it RIPs, the packet is printed.

Most packets are printed on three-hole drilled paper and shrink-wrapped before delivery to the bookstore. There are some, however, that need binding. In the past, packets were bound with plastic cerlox. Currently a spiral binding system is used, and most of the binding has been changed to coil.

About 12 weeks before classes begin, the initial course requests are printed—sometimes as many as 2,500 of a specific title. Although an average order size is about 100, some orders, like packet rain checks, can be as small as one copy. Requests for rain checks are received daily as initial print quantities are sold out at the bookstore. These small orders start coming in after the first day of classes.

Initially, all electronic packet files were stored on a local server that the bookstore could access. However, it did not take long for them to monopolize all of the disk space. Files are now stored on a server in the bookstore that allows the department creating the files complete control of the storage device.

This move to electronic storage has been a real benefit. The production copy center no longer stores or manages file cabinets full of hard copy originals. Four four-drawer lateral files filled with hard copy originals have been eliminated.

Other benefits include:

• Less spoilage, as originals no longer circulate over and over through the document handlers.

• Digital equipment is generally more reliable than analog.

• Print quality is superior with digital equipment. This is especially true with photographs.

• Pages copied from books can be cleaned up to look better, run better and use much less toner.

• The system is much less labor intensive. Machine operators keep paper loaded in the trays and move jobs into the release queue—no more handling and filing of hard copy originals.

• Only that which is programmed for each title is printed. If there are mistakes in setup or quantity it is the responsibility of the bookstore.

• Reprints are easy since the bookstore employee just resends the file, adjusting the quantity each time.

Independent Study Course Packets

In addition to printing course packs for on-campus students, course manuals for BYU's Independent Study program are also printed. Recognized as the largest college and high school correspondence course provider in the country, Independent Study serves over 55,000 students, up from 22,000 just three years ago.

Like the on-campus packets, in the beginning these too were stored in files of hard copy originals. Now, all originals are stored just like the on-campus originals.

The growth in Independent Study packets made it necessary to invest in another Xerox DocuTech printer, bringing the total to four. A Xerox 6180 was added in 1998.

Originally, with the capability of scanning to print, all of the packets were stored on DAT tapes for retrieval. This was much less cumbersome than scanning each packet each time it needed to be printed. Meanwhile, Independent Study was printing additional documents containing variable data from local desktop printers. These were then added to the course manuals before they were put in the mail.

With the support of a Xerox analyst, the copy center proposed printing all documents on the 6180 in a design that would be ready for mailing directly to the student as it came off the printer. Over six months were spent working on the layout of the complete document—what static forms to add, what paper colors to use, how to insert variable data onto the test sheets, etc.

Not only did the document need to be designed for assembly, but it was important to make this procedure completely seamless. Working with the programmer from Independent Study, we determined that the following student information would need to be sent in a data stream three times a day.

• Student's name and address.

• Course name and number.

• Social security number.

• Cost of and payment for the class.

• Course ID number.

• Express mail requirements.

• Web course identifier, if necessary.

Sending and receiving only a small data stream allowed for faster processing over the LAN. When each individually named file is released for printing, all designated documents are gathered by the printer and assembled during the printing process. Since the printer can print last page to first, the document begins printing as soon as the first page of information is RIPed. This allows for printing and RIPing at rated speeds on the machines.

The data stream is batched by the department each morning, early afternoon and again after 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and sent to the printer. The files are named for each student, so if a specific student packet is needed for pickup instead of mailing, it can easily be identified and printed on demand.

Packets for students who pay extra to have materials mailed overnight, are inserted at the beginning of the list in the print queue. Students who register for Web courses are the next on the list. Students who register for regular home study courses and will be receiving them through regular mail are the last group listed in the queue.

CD Burning

Web courses are arranged differently from regular courses because there is no printed manual. These courses require a CD, also produced by the copy center.

CDs are burned and assembled, complete with jewel case and front and back covers. A small inventory of each title is kept rather than printing each one on demand. The Web documentation consists of a printed receipt for the course and the address page, which has been designed to fold in half before it is wrapped together with the CD and mailed.

The student lesson packet for a regular Independent Study course is assembled in this fashion:

1. Registration Card: a full-sized sheet with the student's personal information on it. It was designed with up to three boxes of information about each course for which the student has registered. These boxes include additional information specific to the order, such as if it's a Web course, whether it is to be express mailed, etc. Students registered for more than one class can receive up to three manuals in a package.

2. Color Cover: a preprinted, four-color cover, which includes a white box where the student's name and course number are printed in the process.

3. Cover sheet: a sheet explaining which manuals are included in this package.

4. Static Forms: two static forms explaining the policies and procedures of the program and an explanation of the grading process.

5. Receipt: lists all charges and payments.

6. A static planning form.

7. Submission cover sheets: a form containing variable data.

8. Test Sheets: one or more pre-printed test bubble sheets containing variable data plus printed dots in the circles for the student's social security number, course bar code number and exam number.

9. Examination request form: four copies that allow students to request exams as they are needed.

10. Course Manual: the actual manual for the course.

11. Back cover sheet: a back cover containing the student's address and a return address printed on the back side of the paper so it can be seen from the outside.

12. Additional courses (if applicable): for students who have registered

by CAROL HOLLAND

Carol Holland is Manager of Production Copying at Brigham Young University Print Services. She has been with BYU for 15 years. You can contact her at carol_holland@byu.edu.

Sidebar: Internet Course Packs

The next progression of the course pack program at Brigham Young University will be to offer course packs on the Web.

Xerox has developed software that will convert the scanned documents into Web-viewable form. This provides the option of posting all course packets on the web. Xerox Web Submission and DigiPath software allows the conversion of scanned images to either PDF or JPG images. (Nearly all files are converted to a JPG format since it cannot be downloaded on a hard drive. This protects against unauthorized copying of files from the Web.)

Documents look exactly like the printed course packs. The software provides complete control over customer access and features of the system. All administrative rights will be given to the bookstore, allowing it to manage its library of packets. Students can be restricted from doing anything but browsing and viewing. This maintains the integrity of the copyright, provides control of the printing and protects the copy center revenue stream. It would be terribly expensive, if not impossible, for students to print these packets on a local desktop printer, one screen at a time.

Additional advantages include:

• Convenience to a student who may need to study from the packet that was left at school or misplaced.

• Cost savings for students who feel comfortable viewing the entire packet online

• Opportunity for students to preview the packet prior to purchase and decide whether to purchase or not, thus keeping the number of returned packets to a minimum.

• Future opportunities for students to order packet rain checks directly over the Web, saving the bookstore from having to take the student's order, create a purchase order, send the print request to the copy center, receive the packet, distribute it to the student and collect the money. This could all be done automatically—even the printing and pickup of a packet in a specified copy center that had a mid/high-volume networked printer.

Although the basic Web-viewing option has been presented to the bookstore, there has been no decision made as to whether we will be offering this service to students.