BibliU Examines Strong Correlation Between Learning Content and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Survey of Higher Education Students Underscores Importance of Affordable Course Materials
LONDON, NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO (April 5, 2022) – From the ASU+GSV Summit, EdTech innovator BibliU today shared compelling findings from a recent survey of college students. BibliU sought to examine the relationship between diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and the availability of low-cost digital learning content. More than 75 percent of the respondents said that if learning content, defined as textbooks and courseware, were provided to students at no cost, DEI would be improved. More than 77 percent of respondents agreed that the affordability of learning content is key to supporting DEI.
Almost 81 percent of the students, who ranged in age from 18 – 27 years, said their college or university valued diversity and inclusion. Additionally, 72 percent were able to recall that their institution of higher education had a stated commitment to promoting DEI. When asked what constituted diversity and inclusion in their respective college community, race was ranked highest at 44.5 percent, followed by ethnicity (18 percent), age (12 percent), LGQBT (8 percent), gender (6 percent) and socioeconomic status (5 percent.)
When asked if underrepresented and traditionally marginalized students should receive additional consideration to promote inclusion, respondents cited free course materials and textbooks (35 percent) and extra office hours (15 percent) as important. Students also agreed that faculty have a responsibility to change their teaching style to support diversity and inclusion with an overwhelming 77 percent.
BibliU CEO Dave Sherwood commented, “There’s an indisputable correlation between higher education and real-world outcomes. Creating programs and opportunities that increase equal access to learning supports inclusion. Democratizing content accessibility is BibliU’s primary focus, and these survey results validate our mission’s alignment with what students want.”
The survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey on March 15 – 16, 2022. There were 556 responses, 463 of which were qualified as current or recent college students. An infographic of the findings is available on the BibliU website here.
About BibliU
EdTech innovator BibliU is defining the future of higher education by democratizing content accessibility. Designed to address the unique requirements of students, faculty, libraries and publishers, BibliU’s learning enablement solution features digital content management, workflow automation and analytics. With BibliU, colleges and universities can finally deliver on the promise of digitalization, guaranteeing all students have first-day access to the learning content they need. More information is available at www.bibliu.com.