Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Since its launch in fall 2018, ICON Direct has helped UI students save over $21 million on textbook costs. ICON Direct is the university’s initiative for ordering digital content from specific publishers and delivering it to students at a reduced cost 

The course material adoption periods for winter 2026 and spring 2027 have started. Winter orders are due by Nov. 23. Spring orders are due by Dec. 22. Begin your order selection today. 

“ICON Direct facilitates first-day access, a model of course content delivery that provides access to eTexts and online learning platforms automatically, so that every student enrolled in a course has access to the same content on the first day of class,” explains Vicky Maloy, associate director, Academic Technologies in the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology. “Instructors tell us how much they appreciate students having their digital textbooks in ICON at the start of the semester.”

ICON Direct’s catalog now includes several tools that utilize AI:

  • Examind is an AI-based tool designed for assessments in large business classes.
  • Packback allows instructors to incorporate AI in ways that support students with real-time writing feedback and help them engage in constructive debates. Instructors directly benefit from reduced grading efforts that provide more time for mentoring
  • Top Hat has AI-enhanced tools that assist instructors in creating engaging assessments and provide students with study support.

In addition to these new tools and the digital textbooks and publisher platforms, ICON Direct also can deliver Open Educational Resources (OER), which are free digital texts, to ICON Course sites providing day one access to all enrolled students.

“We are excited to see the program grow and continue to benefit students,” says Valerie Henessee, ICON Direct eText coordinator. “Beyond the cost savings, students have told me they appreciate the digital nature of the materials and that features like text-to-speech and flashcards allow them to study on the go.”

Please email ICON-Direct@uiowa.edu for assistance.