Elsevier and zyBooks Bring Computer Organization and Design Textbook Into the Digital Age

CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwired - April 05, 2016) - Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, and zyBooks, an online interactive textbook provider, today announced the launch of a web-based interactive version of the market-leading textbook Computer Organization and Design, Fifth Edition (David A. Patterson & John L. Hennessy, 2013).

Considered the global industry standard textbook for hundreds of thousands of undergraduate students pursuing degrees in computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering, Computer Organization and Design is used in sophomore required courses to senior electives. It is also widely used by professional digital system designers, programmers, application developers and system software developers for professional development and continued education. The text provides an introduction to the fundamentals of computer architecture, emphasizing the relationship between hardware and software at various levels.

The interactive version of Computer Organization and Design gives users the ability to interact directly with the material via a "learn by doing" approach using animations, interactive tools, simulators and more. It also contains hundreds of engaging learning questions throughout the material and auto-generated, auto-graded activities for homework to practice the MIPS assembly language via a simulator on the web. The interactive version comes with the powerful zyBooks platform that allows instructors to view student activity, customize the zyBook to their syllabus, and automate classroom management.

This hands-on approach has shown positive returns on increased student engagement and improved grades, as well as significant time-savings for instructors in grading students' work. With a single lesson, zyBooks improved student performance by 16 percent, and up to 64 percent for those initially in the lowest quartile. The interactive version of Computer Organization and Design can be combined with other zyBooks like Digital Design or Programming in C and will be offered through zyBooks' website.

"Interactive learning applications have demonstrated proven benefits for overall student outcomes," said zyBooks' CEO, Smita Bakshi. "zyBooks is pleased to collaborate with Elsevier in bringing this well-known and widely used textbook to an interactive platform. We are delighted to launch the interactive version of Computer Organization and Design, which we hope will be the first of many important textbooks to be converted into similar interactive versions." 

Professor Rabi Mahapatra, who is currently using the interactive version in his class at Texas A&M University, said "it expedites the students understanding of topics through interactive activities prior to the lectures, and they receive the architectural techniques easily from the detailed visual presentations." Professor Amitabh Mishra from the University of West Florida finds the zyBook version "a refreshing new way to learn intricate concepts in computer architecture that allows for active student participation and offers evaluation reports on completed activities as well."

"Elsevier is excited to see this interactive version of Computer Organization and Design launched," said Todd Green, Publisher, Elsevier Computing, Security, and Engineering Textbooks. "zyBooks has produced an engaging update to our award-winning textbook that facilitates students' understanding of the material and provides instructors a means to track student progress. We look forward to working with zyBooks to realize the full potential of their platform-based approach to teaching."

About zyBooks
zyBooks is a leading provider of online interactive and animated learning material for college level STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses. Founded in 2012 by Smita Bakshi and Professor Frank Vahid, zyBooks' offerings emphasize interactive learning through extensive questions, animations, simulators, and even embedded auto-graded homework and labs at affordable prices. zyBooks have been used at more than 300 universities by over 80,000 students to date.

About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions -- among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey -- and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 33,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries, www.elsevier.com.

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