Placing orders for course materials are the main user activity in the Unizin Order Tool.
This article covers how Instructors, Coordinators, and Program Administrators place an order for a Course Offering in a particular Session of an Academic Term.
This article explains how users place an order. In particular, you will learn how to:
- Select a course offering for which to place an order
- Select the course offering's relevant sections
- Search for and select course materials
- Add a content request
- Review and place your order
1. Select a Course offering
After logging into the Order Tool, Order Tool users are presented with Course offerings in one or more open Ordering periods.
Instructors are presented a unique list of Course offerings they're assigned to teach. As an Instructor, identify the Term, Course, and Section type you are assigned to teach and the sections for which you want to order course materials.
Coordinators are presented a list of Course offerings for which they are permitted to place orders. Coordinators may order the same content for many sections taught by different instructors. As a Coordinator, identify the Session, Course, Section type, Section, and instructor for whom you are placing an order. Then, identify the Course assignment of that instructor for which you want to order course materials.
Instructors of each section are presented when selecting the ordered drop-down menu of a section type.
Once you have identified a course offering and Instructor for which you wish to place an order, click "Start Order."
Program Administrators are presented a list of all Course offerings available to the institution. These administrator users inherently have access place orders for all Sessions, Courses, and Sections in Order Tool. The workflow to select a Course offering is the same as that of a Coordinator. (See above)
2. Select one or more Sections
After selecting a Course, users must select one or more Sections for which to place an order. In most cases, users will wish to place a course materials order for all of the available Sections of a section type associated with an Instructor's course assignment.
Select the Sections for which you want to include in your order. The sections are listed by their Section number within that particular section type.
3. Search for content and select course materials
After selecting the Sections of a course offering assignment, you will search for content and select course materials.
Selecting course materials works like shopping in an online marketplace:
- Search for course materials you wish to use in your course
- Apply the available filters to fine-tune your search results
- Add the course materials to your shopping cart
- Review and place your order
Searching for course materials
When searching for course materials, the following metadata about books is searched:
- Author
- Title
- Publisher name
- ISBN
You must enter at least three characters into the search bar to identify course materials.
Apply filters to narrow search results
While searching for course materials, you may select additional filters to fine-tune the search results.
Filter by publishers
The publishers' filter allows users to select the publisher or publishers of the course material they may be searching for, which will narrow the search criteria to include only the selected publisher(s).
Select "Show more" to expand the full list of available publishers.
Select a publisher or multiple publishers to narrow the search results for the class material you'd like to locate.
Filter by material type
You may fine-tune the search results further by utilizing the material type filter. This filter displays the type of materials that you may order in the catalog. There are two types of materials: eText and DLT.
An eText material is an ebook, PDF version of the class material. It will be delivered in Unizin's Engage platform for the section(s) associated with your order.
A DLT (Digital Learning Tools) material is digital courseware, which is specific to each individual publisher. Courseware materials will be configured and delivered by the appropriate publisher's representatives for the section(s) associated with your order.
Each DLT material has a length of access period in the content catalog. This length of access is specific to each offer of a particular digital course material. Length of access for Digital Learning Tools (DLTs) varies. The length of access for a material is defined by the publisher. Courseware may include learning, lab, and homework platforms offered by each publisher.
The publishers and material type filters may be used individually or in combination with one another if desired.
Selecting course materials
After searching, the Unizin Order Tool will display course materials that match your search criteria. The title, author(s), publisher, and ISBN are presented for each course material. Users may then select course material items to add to their order by clicking the "+" button next to each course materials item. That action adds the course materials item to the order and confirms the action with a notification.
Removing course materials from your order
Course materials items can be removed from an order at any time in the ordering workflow by clicking the "x" button next to each course materials item, including in the "Review order" page and while searching the content catalog.
A notification will confirm that a course materials item was removed from your order.
4. Adding a course materials Content Request
If you are unable to find the course materials you seek in Unizin's course materials offer catalog, you may add a custom course materials request –called a Content Request– to your order. Content requests are not guaranteed to be delivered by Unizin. Content requests are evaluated by Unizin's Publisher Services team. Users who submit a Content request will be contacted by Unizin Publisher Services before and after a determination is made about whether the course materials can be acquired and delivered.
Users may submit a Content request by clicking the Content Request link on the "Add Content" page in Unizin Order tool.
When clicked, a form appears that invites the user to include information describing the requested course materials item. The information includes:
- Title (required)
- Publisher
- Author(s)
- Edition
- ISBN
When you click "Add Content Request," the Content request is added to your order under the "Content Requests" section. To close out of the Add Content request screen, click the "X" button at the top right of the frame to be brought back to the Catalog view.
5. Review and place your order
When you have completed selecting course materials to include in your order, click the "Checkout" button at the top right of the screen to progress to the order Review screen. The Review screen asks users to review their course materials selections and confirm that they wish to place the order. This is a final review of your order.
On the Review screen, the Unizin Order Tool will remind you of the Course and Sections for which the items in your cart will be ordered. It will also provide valuable information about the cost savings you're providing your students by ordering course materials through the Unizin Marketplace.
Earning royalties
Optionally, Institutions may require Faculty or Instructors to declare if they stand to earn royalties from the course materials they ask their students to buy.
If checked, the user declares that they stand to earn royalties from their course materials selection. This information is provided to your institution, who may review your order. Selecting this box does not delay the delivery of ordered course materials to your students.
Note: The option to require a royalties declaration is configured at the institutional level during the implementation of the Unizin Order Tool.
Amend or cancel your order
On the Review screen, users may remove course materials items from their order. Users may also navigate back to the course materials and section selection screens if they wish to change the scope of their order.
Users may cancel an order by selecting the "Cancel order" link at the top right of the screen at any time. Users will be prompted to confirm this action prior to canceling the order. A notification will appear on the screen to confirm the order has been canceled.
Place your order
When you are satisfied with your order, click the "Submit Order" button at the bottom of the screen.
The Unizin Order Tool will confirm that your order has been placed. You will then be returned to the Courses screen, where you can begin a new order.
If you ordered digital textbooks, they will automatically be delivered to Engage.
If you ordered a digital product, it will be configured for your course in advance of the term.
If you submitted a Content Request, Unizin Publisher Services will contact you via email about the request.