A new School year begins in March of 2025, and the South Korean government announced that it is scaling back on its plans to implement AI-driven digital textbooks for the classroom. The digital conversion of paper-based books for mathematics, English and informatics courses will go ahead as planned for third- and fourth-grade students, seventh-graders and first-year high school … [Read more...] about South Korea is abandoning AI Digital Textbooks for some subjects
digital textbooks
Why Digital Textbooks aren’t Helping Students
Textbook prices have almost tripled over the past four decades, turning these books into financial burdens. Moving from print to digital college textbooks was supposed to address the problem. But it seems to create more problems than it was expected to solve. First of all, textbook prices continue to increase despite digital access. Students need access codes from publishers … [Read more...] about Why Digital Textbooks aren’t Helping Students
Textbook Publishers file a lawsuit against pirate websites
Cengage, Elsevier, Macmillan Learning, McGraw-Hill, and Pearson have just filed a lawsuit against a pirated website that is distributing all of their digital textbooks for free. This is not the first time they have banded together to deal a crippling blow to pirates. In 2018 they won a case against another site and won a judgement of $34 million. According to the lawsuit … [Read more...] about Textbook Publishers file a lawsuit against pirate websites
Student spending on textbooks has dropped 35%
Student spending on textbooks have dropped significantly in the past five years. The Association of American Publishers reports that spending has dropped 35% during this time period. “When it comes to acquiring course materials students have more choice – and more affordable alternatives – than ever, including rental options for both print and digital materials, loose-leaf … [Read more...] about Student spending on textbooks has dropped 35%
Textbook Prices Continue to Rise Despite Digital Access
When people (re: students) complain about the outrageous cost of higher education, they're usually referring to astronomical tuition increases, seemingly endless student fees, and of course, multi-million dollar bribes to get Junior into his party school of choice. What is often overlooked at first is the inexcusable cost of textbooks, which have risen by more than 88% just … [Read more...] about Textbook Prices Continue to Rise Despite Digital Access
2.2M Students Used Free OpenStax Digital Textbooks Last Year
Digital textbooks were supposed to revolutionize and equalize education. By enabling access to uploaded, updated materials to students around the world, schools and families alike could be spared at least some of the expense that typically goes along with printed textbooks. So what happened? The widespread, world-changing adoption that the industry foresaw for so long has … [Read more...] about 2.2M Students Used Free OpenStax Digital Textbooks Last Year
Pearson Sells Off Digital Textbook, School Courseware Division
Widely-known educational publisher Pearson has been giving hints and reports since 2017 that it had plans to get rid of its digital textbook division, and now that deal has finally been announced. The company will sell off its K12 school courseware product--which distributes digital textbooks, among other things--to Nexus Capital Management, as announced this … [Read more...] about Pearson Sells Off Digital Textbook, School Courseware Division
The Biggest Scam in Publishing?
The digital publishing revolution is so old that a great many reading consumers might not be able to envision a time when they couldn't simply pop online to order a book, download a new title from their favorite author, or use an app or PDF for supplemental book material. eBooks and digital publishing have simply become a part of everyday life for many people. But there's … [Read more...] about The Biggest Scam in Publishing?
Students Still Don’t Interact with Digital as Effectively as Print
The era of the digital native still hasn't morphed to include education, at least not according to new findings from Patricia A. Alexander and Lauren M. Singer. Their study and review of other sources over the past many years find that students might perceive they do better when they use a digital textbook, but the measurable outcome doesn't support that perception. One of … [Read more...] about Students Still Don’t Interact with Digital as Effectively as Print
Are Digital Textbooks Finally Taking Hold?
We're closing in on nearly a decade since ebooks first moved away from being a niche technology novelty and became a household object. In those early years of the current phase of this digital publishing revolution, ebooks were being hailed as the new frontier of educational publishing. While multiple surveys discovered that kids didn't like reading ebooks for fun, they had no … [Read more...] about Are Digital Textbooks Finally Taking Hold?
BUKU Launches New Unlimited Digital Textbook Program in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is the fastest growing market when it comes to digital publishing. There are a ton of startups and established companies that are taking advantage of gaps in the marketplace. Elly's Choice and Kobo both have unlimited e-book subscription programs. Storytel is enjoying a monopoly when it comes to unlimited audiobooks, after acquiring their sole … [Read more...] about BUKU Launches New Unlimited Digital Textbook Program in the Netherlands
Students Continue to Resist Digital Textbooks
Every single year new statistics and polls emerge about digital textbooks in the classroom. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Google have all tried very hard to offer digital editions for rent and resale, but they have not caught on in a meaningful way. A new report by the University of Washington found that even when eTextbooks are given away for free, students continue to buy … [Read more...] about Students Continue to Resist Digital Textbooks
Amazon Takes Over Textbook Business of the University of Massachusetts
Amazon has ironed out an agreement with the University of Massachusetts to take over the schools textbook business from Follett. Starting this fall students will be able to order print books and have them delivered for free to their homes or an Amazon-staffed storefront in the campus center that’s set to open in June. Each student will be available to save $380 each semester … [Read more...] about Amazon Takes Over Textbook Business of the University of Massachusetts
Paperight to Shut Its Doors
In sad news for extending the reach of ebooks and print-on-demand, global distributor Paperight has announced that it will cease operations. The company operated under an anti-piracy/pro-book access model that licensed ebooks from publishers to be sold via photocopy shops across various regions in Africa. Good e-Reader first wrote about Paperight in 2013 when the group won a … [Read more...] about Paperight to Shut Its Doors