Engage - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you drop a class that is using Engage, you should not be charged for the eText/DLT used by the class. If you are charged, you will receive a refund. If you drop a class after the drop deadline, your refund will be proportional to the refund schedule.

Please refer to the Opt-out Considerations and Guidelines KB under How to opt out. There are special considerations for late opt-out requests, but those can be made. Further information is included in that document.

You will not be charged the eText/DLT fee for a course unless you are enrolled in the course.

eTexts are not readable on a Kindle e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite. eTexts used with Engage are readable on Kindle Fire tablets with a web browser. The Unizin Read app is not available in the Amazon app store on Fire tablets. There is a Unizin Read mobile app for iOS and Android devices, including tablets. There are some known issues to be aware of when using these apps, however, so it's important to review the documentation before deciding which e-reader to use.

You do not need to purchase a print copy of the eText. It will be available to you on or before the first day of class in the associated Canvas course. The cost of the digital materials will be billed to your tuition account.

Some eTexts will have loose-leaf versions available for purchase at the UW Book Store. You can check on the UW Book Store’s web page for availability. You can also print up to 50 pages at a time for free (minus the cost of paper) - this only applies to eTexts as DLTs are only available online. Printed copies of all eTexts are also available in campus library reserves. You can search for these on the UW-Madison Libraries website. If data is a concern, eTexts can be accessed offline, if needed.

You will retain access to your eText for your entire student career at UW-Madison. The length of access for DLTs varies based on the course and the specific DLT. Your instructor - or the publisher - can provide further details on DLT length of access. 

You can get support in a few places. 

• If you’d like to browse the KnowledgeBase first, you may be able to find some answers.
• Unizin also provides some information, including how-to’s, for many functions of Engage. 
• The specific publisher may provide some documentation for their DLTs if needed - publisher support details can be found here. 
• If you have accessibility concerns, you can review this document, or contact the McBurney Disability Resource Center. 
• Lastly, the DoIT Help Desk can answer questions and escalate cases to the appropriate team, as needed. 

All students who register for a course using Engage will be charged for the eText/DLT unless they opt-out. Students will be informed about the option to opt-out and directed to read the material in the Opt-out Considerations and Guidelines KB. They can follow the opt-out process at the end of the KB. The opt-out process allows the Registrars and Bursar’s offices to remove the charge from the student’s tuition bill.

You can e-mail the Engage team at etexts@doit.wisc.edu to check on the prices of eTexts or DLTs from participating publishers. Please include the ISBN of the textbook you'd like to use in your e-mail.

Instructors can feel free to merge sections of Canvas courses that are using Engage by following the process outlined in Canvas - Crosslisting/Merging a Canvas Course (UW-Madison).
Please be sure to not merge sections of a course that are using Engage with sections that are not.

During designated ordering periods before the start of the semester, you can place an order in the Order Tool by following the directions here: Ordering eTexts/DLTs with the Order Tool. You are only able to place an order during open ordering periods, but you can still log into the Order Tool and browse the catalog at any other time. Both instructors and course coordinators (curricular reps) have the ability to do this. 

Once you’ve placed an order:

• You should receive a notification from the Order Tool confirming your order. Students do not need to purchase the eText/DLT separately, as this order pre-purchases it for them.
• You do not need to add any language to the Faculty Center/Textbook Information in SIS as the Engage Team will take care of that for you. 
• If you’d like to work on including language around Engage in your course syllabus (to help inform students how you’ll be using the materials and what your expectations are), you can review sample language for eTexts here and DLTs here. 
• Best practices for instructors can be reviewed in this document.
• You can review the set-up steps for adding an Engage eText or DLT to your course - eTexts need to have the Engage button added to the Navigation bar while DLTs will have either a link or button added to the course. Publishers will work with you directly to add their DLTs.

Some things you can do to customize your eText include:

• Adding annotations and answering student questions within the text itself. 
• You can also view analytics, which provides information on how much a student has read. 
• You can also copy materials to another course or section. 
• eTexts can be accessed offline, if needed, and pages can be bookmarked. 
• Students also have the ability to collaborate in order to support group work and can take notes directly within Engage. 
• Note: Notes can be viewed by instructors by default, but students do have the ability to change sharing settings. 
• Publisher DLTs will have different capabilities; it’s best to check in with the publisher for more information on what exactly can be done. 

You can get support in a few places: 

• If you’d like to browse the KnowledgeBase first, you may be able to find some answers.
• Unizin also provides some information, including how-to’s, for many functions of Engage. 
• The specific publisher may provide some documentation for their DLTs if needed - publisher support details can be found here. 
• If you have accessibility concerns, you can review this document. 
• Lastly, the DoIT Help Desk can answer questions and escalate cases to the appropriate team, as needed.