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Using Digital Textbook During Exam

Overview

In an "Open Mode/Open Book” exam, Exam4 will block internet access but will still allow students to use any digital textbook they downloaded beforehand. Accessing digital textbooks is straightforward once you know where to go. Major publishers provide online platforms where you can sign in and download your textbook in advance. The sections below outline the basic steps for the most common providers so you can download your digital textbooks before your exam.

How to Download Your Textbook

Carolina Academic Press and West Academic Publishing use VitalSource Bookshelf 

Using Carolina Academic Press

Sign in to Carolina Academic Press.

  • To access your ebook:
    • Click the "Account & Ebooks" button at the top of any page.
    • Log in with the username and password you used to place the purchase.
    • You will see a list of your ebooks followed by "Read Now" buttons.
    • Click the "Read Now" button to be taken directly to the ebook reader (VitalSource Bookshelf).
    • At VitalSource, you may either create an account (or use an existing account), or read as a guest.
    • If you choose to use an account, you may also access your ebook through the VitalSource Bookshelf App.
  • For any help, visit the Carolina Academic Press Support webpage.

Using West Academic Publishing

Sign in to West Academic.

  • Search for the book you would like to read offline and select it from the search results page.
  • Once in the book, click the "Open in eReader” eBook button at the top of the page to open the book in the VitalSource eReader.
  • Download the VitalSource Bookshelf desktop or mobile app and sign in with your credentials.
  • In the VitalSource Bookshelf app, select the title you want to read offline and download the book while connected to the internet. Once the book has been downloaded, a small checkmark icon will appear in the top-right corner of the title and the book will be available for offline reading.
  • Important note: You will be able to download and access your digital textbook on 2 computers and 2 mobile devices using the Bookshelf app.

Using Aspen Publishing

Aspen Publishing provided the following guidance. 

Digital casebooks on Casebook Connect cannot be directly downloaded to a computer hard drive as a PDF file due to print and export limits. However, Casebook Connect includes a built-in Offline Access feature that allows students to view up to 100% of their eBook content—along with their existing highlights, annotations, and notes—without an active internet connection.   

To set this up before a non-internet exam, students should follow these steps while connected to the internet:   

  1. Log in to Casebook Connect and open the Connected eBook.   
  2. In the blue toolbar at the top, select the Offline menu and click Save for Offline Use.   
  3. Select the desired chapters/sections and click Generate Offline Link.   
  4. Open the generated link in a new browser tab and save/bookmark it in their browser.   

On the day of the exam, students must log in to Casebook Connect prior to going offline (within 4 hours of the test) and launch the saved offline bookmark on the same device and browser where the link was generated.

Students are encouraged to generate and test their offline link in advance of the exam day.