Day: June 14, 2011

I highly recommend checking out the University System of Georgia’s webpage on open source textbooks at: http://www.usg.edu/facultyresources/resources/open_textbooks/

I feel that they really capture the true definition of — AND — the benefits of, open source textbooks. These online textbooks are commonly referred to as open educational resources or OER.

The gang over at http://www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks-reports/a-cover-to-cover-solution released a very interesting executive summary of their summer 2010 report: “A Cover to Cover Solution: How Open Textbooks are the Path to Textbook Affordability”

They break the report’s findings into THREE crucial suggestions designed for improvement in student textbook availability and distribution.

1. Textbook affordability solutions must satisfy a wide range of student preferences.

2. Traditional cost-reducing options have limited potential because they only appeal to a subset of students.

3. Open textbooks can reduce costs for all students and have the potential for long-term sustainability.

I feel that their report finding’s reflect the all-too-common, yet all-too-ignored everyday financial struggle of college students worldwide. The solution of open textbooks makes perfect sense in an ideal world, but the profit-motive is SURE to be a factor in how well this educational-model is embraced by the masses. The masses being the textbook publishers of course, as a select few textbook companies appear to have VERY solid foundations and roots within the higher institutions of America and they tend to “run the educational material show” overseas as well. It will be an interesting next few years in the digital learning industry, that’s for sure!

What do you think about the future of open textbooks?

Source Article: http://www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks-reports/a-cover-to-cover-solution

Source Article: http://www.usg.edu/facultyresources/resources/open_textbooks/

Just had a really good article by Mercy Pilkington over at http://www.goodereader.com pop up on my radar discussing Inkling and all of the benefits that this start-up is going to bring students and the education industry as a whole. If you don’t already know, Inkling has combined with the powerhouse textbook publisher McGraw Hill to produce hundreds of interactive digital textbooks. The great thing about this combination is that students not only get cheaper educational material, they get to the choice to purchase only the chapters their instructors deem to be necessary. To broke college students desperately seeking free textbooks, this is the next best thing to HEAVEN. Spending money is bad, but WASTING MONEY is even worse! Even if you’re not a college student, you would probably agree with that statement.

I feel Mercy sums it up nicely at the end paragraph:

“The real winners in the digital textbook world, obviously, will be the students attempting to afford the rising costs of higher education. Through a content-specific device, students can carry all of their necessary texts with them and with Inkling, they can learn far more than paper ever allowed.”

The real interesting tidbit that can be picked up within this blog post is the note about how a McGraw Hill textbooks / Barnes and Noble merger would have ENORMOUS potential in the ever-evolving digital learning landscape. I really couldn’t agree more. Barnes and Noble has been looking for ways to reach their “fast-techno-adapter” target market for some time, so having the most popular and arguably the most successful textbook company behind the reigns could only lead to good things for both corporations, and for students and instructors at all learning levels as well!

Source Article: http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/inkling-makes-e-textbooks-a-reality/