In the U.S., buying and selling textbooks is almost as hated as 7:30 a.m. classes. Flat World, a company in New York, says it is launching a pilot project to give away virtual texts on 15 campuses. They have a goal to demolish the $5.5 billion text publishing industry by offering the books through the internet, many of which integrate audio and video.
"The texts are produced on an open-source platform, meaning they can be updated easily and professors can customize each textbook to match a particular lesson plan," Time.com says. "Those are major advantages over paper editions, says Dana Lanham, an advertising professor at University of North Carolina in Charlotte. 'Being online lets the content be so dynamic,' says Lanham, who will teach some 70 students using Flat World texts this fall. 'Usually textbooks are out of date as soon as you print them.'"
Nobody involved in the class book project is happy, not authors, faculty or students. All the books have been peer reviewed and promise to deliver high quality. A former exec with the largest text publisher says "why not try something different?"
Here is another article on free textbooks:
Textbook-Free Universities
Flat World Books Are Free
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Textbook Platforms - The market is ripe for a disruptive innovation that can replace the expensive textbook publishing industry with more accessible virtual textbook platforms.
2. Customizable Textbooks - The potential for customizable virtual textbooks with dynamic content creates exciting opportunities for innovation in the education industry.
3. Open-source Textbook Solutions - Open-source textbook solutions can offer a viable alternative to traditional textbook publishing, with the added advantage of easy updating and customization.
Industry Implications
1. Education Industry - Education institutions can capitalize on the trend of virtual textbooks to create more accessible and dynamic learning experiences for students.
2. Digital Publishing Industry - The digital publishing industry can explore the opportunity to provide open-source textbook solutions with customizable and dynamic content.
3. Edtech Industry - EdTech companies can seize the opportunity to innovate with virtual textbook platforms and open-source solutions that offer greater accessibility and affordability to students.