Since LogicPad’s debut in Fall of 2012, Kehinde Roberts the co-founder of LogicPad and his team, have been working on their innovative textbook application. Their new textbook application hopes to solve two problems: finding students who have taken your course, with textbooks to sell, and helping students sell textbooks at a competitive price, according to Roberts.
“Our textbook application will give students the option to make more money back on their original investment, by connecting them directly to other student buyers who are going to take that course in the near future,” said Roberts.
Roberts explained how these days, students spend so much money on expensive textbooks, and only get back 10-20 percent of the true market value, when it’s time to sell their books back. It is also economically inefficient since third party buyback systems only increase the cost of used books to students, according to Roberts.
The problem, according to LogicPad, is that there is inefficiency in selling books back for cash, since students are not getting a fair market value. So, their answer is a student buyback: making costs lower for buyers, earning more cash from selling books, and being able to trade with other students.
Using LogicPad’s integrated Textbook application, students can compare textbook prices to those on Amazon and other students, and in addition create “Craigslist type” listings for popular books while managing their textbooks in one place.
“LogicPad’s aim is to help students by providing a simple and easy listing that’s connected to the course code, number, semester and professor, so other students can purchase the book on campus,” he said.
Providing some testimony from a student-perspective, two West Chester University students, Laura Succa and Liz Saldan, share their personal experiences using LogicPad’s textbook application.
“The first semester I used the textbook app, I spent at least 75 percent less on textbooks than I would have if I had bought them through the bookstore, and it only took me three minutes to find and pay for all my textbooks. At the end of the semester I simply re-listed my books on the platform and rather than get two dollars back from the bookstore, I made more money by selling my books to students taking the class this summer,” says Laura Succa, a Communication Studies senior at WCU.
“I have never had a problem finding cheap textbooks while using LogicPad’s database. Everything you need is all in one place, and offers the best prices for expensive textbooks you know you are going to have to buy,” says Liz Saldan, also a Communication Studies senior at WCU.
This application is just one of many improvements LogicPad has made to the current system. The creators are now taking the feedback they received, and are developing LogicPad into a fully functional Global Learning Management System that will cater to the latest learning products and services today. Dedicated to using some of the most advanced web technologies, LogicPad hopes to enhance online learning tools for faculty and students at WCU, as well as other institutions in the near future, according to Roberts.
Julie Singer is a first year student majoring in special education and middle grades preparation with a minor in reading. She can be reached at JS781397@wcupa.edu.