GoodeReader reported last week on digital textbook developer Kno, who initially entered the digital sales realm in devices, but quickly realized the potential for developing content that isn’t available elsewhere. At Kno’s recent launch of a dashboard and pricing schedule that makes it possible for parents of public school students to purchase digital editions of their children’s textbooks for no more than $9.99 apiece, the iOS platform was the only one able to interact with the K-12 digital texts.
Just in time for back to school, Kno announced today that it is now compatible with Android powered devices, specifically that Kno’s K-12 and higher education textbooks work nicely on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 on which is comes preinstalled.
“Samsung has been a leader in Android tablets and their commitment to education technology is underscored by preloading Kno’s digital textbook app in the new GALAXY Note 10.1 tablet,” said Don Morrison, Vice President of Business Development, and Kno, Inc. in a press release today. “Studies have shown that students that hand-write their notes retain information more effectively. The GALAXY Note 10.1’s advanced S Pen technology makes it the perfect complement to the interactive digital textbook experience we’ve created at Kno.”
“At Samsung, we believe that innovative technologies can assist educators and enable greater collaboration with students to help them explore and acquire the skills that will prepare them for tomorrow’s opportunities,” said Tod Pike, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Business Division, Samsung Electronics America. “Our GALAXY Note 10.1, preloaded with Kno’s interactive textbook app, was built with education in mind and helps facilitate our vision of technology as a transformative agent to traditional learning.”
Kno also announced today that it has added additional social learning features to the platform prior to the return to school for many students. This new interactivity allows students and teachers to highlight and share passages in the texts, include links to outside sources, and share content that they add to their own journals within a Kno adapted text.
“Our mission is to go beyond a flat digital book and let the book become the basis of an interactive and now a shared experience. The ability to share study notes is one of the most significant innovations added to the Kno app since its initial launch,” said Babur Habib, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Kno, Inc. “The addition of support for Android devices and Windows 7 OS also extends our reach to nearly 100% of students no matter what device they choose for school this fall.”
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
