and the 50-pound bookbag
The Department of Justice and Apple are battling in court over e-book pricing, but that's not the only high-stakes brawl that's brewing in the publishing industry.
The multi-billion dollar textbook industry is also being shaken up by a slew of forces, from the publishers to tech startups, education non-profits, the government, university professors and, of course, Apple.
Textbook sales, for both higher education and K-12, will reach an estimated $13.7 billion in the U.S. this year, according to Outsell, a research firm. The overall market is expected to increase over the next few years as the student population is growing, according to Kate Worlock, an analyst at Outsell.
Just as with e-books, the shift comes as students turn to their tablets and smartphones for digital textbooks. Just take college student Clayton Brown, who carries an iPad to his biology class at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
If his professor asks the students to follow along in the textbook, he taps his iPad, opens a digital copy and quickly lands at the right place without thumbing through any pages.
"Instead of carrying around a bunch of books, you have one device with everything on it," said the 23-year-old student. He also uses the digital textbook's added tools like flash cards and an online journal that keeps track of the material he's highlighted. "It's just much more efficient." (More)
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" The rise of Open Educational Resources as a digital learning tool is transforming the modern-day classroom. To cope with this 21st Century "sea change in education," educators have been expected to master constantly evolving technology, new sources of content and revolutionary delivery systems.
But now there is help. Marianas Electronics in partnership with 3W Education Consulting Group brings together a collection of some of the nation's most respected experts with backgrounds in teaching, OER, administration, IT, EdTech, and digital learning infrastructure support. We speak your language. And we are committed to making your school's transformation to digital learning a success. Join with us in this effort and become a Sponsor or just forward this message to family, friends and associates."BECOME A SPONSOR OF ReTHINK EDUCATION
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What Are Open Education Resources OER
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 Open Educational Resources (OERs) are any type of educational materials that are in the public domain or introduced with an open license. The nature of these open materials means that anyone can legally and freely copy, use, adapt and re-share them. OERs range from textbooks to curricula, syllabi, lecture notes, assignments, tests, projects, audio, video and animation. The creation and use of OER represents a shift in education that supports shared teacher expertise and peer-based learning. Free and open content is not only a new economic model for schools and students, but also a primary vehicle for disseminating flexible, adaptable curricula that support learner-centric approaches. (CLICK to Read More About OER Resources)The ReTHINK Education Report will explore 21st Century education opportunities in-depth over the next several weeks to provide a detailed guide to this transformation in learning. We hope you will share this important information.
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OER EXPANDS CLOUD BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
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Digital Content Available 24/7 Always Up-To-Date
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The ability to use many forms of digital content, through Open Education Resources (OER) will provide more enriched learning experiences to meet the needs of individual students. For students in diverse settings, especially those attending schools in underserved areas, the dropout rate and achievement cap can be addressed by technology and digital learning, through increased access to: * A wider variety of course offerings including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate programs, higher-level math and science, foreign languages, and remediation classes taught in different ways; * A more personalized learning experience that builds on learning styles, interests, and abilities and allows students to work at their own pace; * Credit recovery options to assist the struggling student or one who needs an additional course to graduate; * Experts from around the world to increase knowledge and understanding of careers, access to simulations, and virtual field trips; and * Digital content, adaptive software, and learning platforms to provide multiple options for content and curriculum, including simulations and interactive opportunities to increase the understanding and knowledge of standards and real- world applications of what is learned in school.
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WHY MAKE THE TRANSITION TO DIGITAL LEARNING
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A modern day approach to digital learning is a personalized experience that dynamically identifies and addresses each student's unique learning needs in a manner appropriate to their learning interests, styles, and aptitude, and does so anytime and anywhere. This personalized learning model is made possible by digital learning that leverages persistent connectivity, large-scale data processing, and rapidly advancing device capabilities to individually engage every student. There are many reasons to make the change.
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 * EffectivenessThere are many indications that leveraging technology can improve the opportunity for educational access, improve student engagement and achievement, and improve learning productivity: * According to the U.S. Department of Education and recent studies by the National Training and Simulation Association, technologybased instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30 to 80 percent. According to a meta- analysis and review of online learning studies by the U.S. Department of Education, on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. * According to Project RED, a national research and advocacy initiative focused on how technology can revolutionize education, continuous access to a computing device for every student leads to increased academic achievement and financial benefits, especially when technology is properly implemented. * Online collaboration contributes to improved graduation rates and other academic improvements, according to Project RED. * Student EngagementToday's students are "digital natives" - they are growing up in a decidedly digital world. Digital learning educates students using the same technology they use for communication and entertainment outside of school - smartphones, tablets, and laptops. It is not that students are only engaged by technology, but instead the passive, one-size-fits all education practices are not adequately adaptable to each student's needs and aptitude. * Richer, more personalized classroom experiencesThe digital learning environment has modular lesson plans and content, adapts to individual learning, monitors student performance, and encourages small- and large-scale collaborations among students. |
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Why Make the Change Continued
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