Libby and Kanopy 2025 Survey Reveals a New Era of Undergraduate Learning: Students Move Beyond Traditional Text in Favor of Multimodal, Active Education
From lectures to projects, undergraduates prioritize engagement, diverse voices, and digital access
CLEVELAND, Jan. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Libby and Kanopy recently released the results of its 2025 Higher Education Survey. The findings reveal a significant shift in student expectations, with nearly three-quarters of undergraduates identifying as visual or kinesthetic learners and 90% demanding course materials that reflect a diverse range of voices and experiences.
The quantitative study, which surveyed 500 U.S. undergraduates in September 2025, highlights a concerning “digital tool gap” in academia. While 87% of students agree that films and documentaries are critical for mastering course content, only 44% report that their institutions provide adequate digital tools for accessing movies, documentaries, or foreign films.
The survey also indicates that today’s students are moving away from passive learning. Key findings include:
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- 84% of students prefer a dynamic learning environment that prioritizes discussion and video over traditional lectures
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- 89% of undergraduates want to demonstrate knowledge through projects and portfolios rather than traditional essays.
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- 90% of students state that diverse representation in course materials is a core requirement, not a “bonus.”
The Four Student Archetypes
In compiling and reviewing the results, four distinct learning profiles dominate today’s campuses:
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- The Visual Vlogger: Relies on video and prefers real-life examples and experiences.
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- The Kinesthetic Constructor: Favors lab work, physical models, and experiential learning.
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- The Textual Traditionalist: Prefers eBooks and pdfs and customizable displays to digest information.
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- The Auditory Anchor: Use text-to-voice and audiobooks to learn while multitasking and on the move.
Efficiency and AI: The New Baseline
Students are rapidly adopting advanced digital features to streamline their studies. 35% of undergraduates already use AI summaries to accelerate comprehension, while 36% rely on offline access to bypass unreliable campus Wi-Fi. There is also a burgeoning demand for discovery: 30% of students explicitly asked for platform-driven book and content recommendations to help guide their research.
“Students are telling us that the standard lecture-and-textbook model just isn't cutting it anymore,” said Emma Covelli, Collection Development Team Lead at OverDrive. “They want to learn through video, they want to learn by doing, and they want their course materials to look like the real world. This data offers a major opportunity for schools to close the gap between the resources they provide and how students actually learn best.”
Methodology
The 2025 Higher Education Survey was conducted online from September 11–19, 2025, among 500 U.S. undergraduates. The sample was balanced by year of study, gender, and region, representing more than 60 specific majors. Participants included students from four-year universities (81%) and two-year community colleges (19%).
About OverDrive
OverDrive is a mission-based company that supports libraries and schools. Named a Certified B Corp in 2017, OverDrive serves more than 87,000 libraries and schools in 115 countries with the industry’s largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, video and other content. Award-winning apps and services include the Libby library reading app, the Sora student reading app, the Kanopy video streaming app, and TeachingBooks. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA. www.overdrive.com
Madison Stoneburner OverDrive 2165736886 mstoneburner@overdrive.com
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