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Why Online Textbooks Still Don’t Work

Why Online Textbooks Still Don’t Work

http://www.teleread.com/textbooks/why-online-textbooks-still-dont-work/

Snippet: “Techdirt has a great write-up about a school district that is spending over $2 million to switch back to paper textbooks after investing heavily in an on-line model.  The problem? Surprisingly, it’s not one of those, ‘There isn’t enough content available yet!’ situations. There is content. But the hardware requirements to run it, in this age of multimedia, are so high that students who can’t afford broadband Internet at home can’t use them!”

School District Dumps $2 Million ‘Online Textbook’ Program After Discovering Some Students Can’t Afford Broadband

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121215/12010421395/school-district-dumps-2-million-online-textbook-program-after-discovering-some-students-cant-afford-broadband.shtml

Snippet: “The underlying problem here isn’t an ill-timed leap into the digital world. It’s the limits built into the e-textbooks by the publishers. In fact, FCPS’s FAQ on the digital textbooks calls them what they really are: “online textbooks.” Even if schools could purchase cheaper e-readers for students lacking access to broadband or a computer, the publishers are, at this point, unwilling to provide a downloadable option. In fact, the textbook publishers are constantly adding additional bells and whistles to their “online textbooks” (note the long list of additional software needed to use the curriculum) in order to avoid ever having to provide a stripped-down, downloadable version.”

Interesting speed bump . . .

Stephen

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Posted on: February 8, 2013, 6:36 am Category: Uncategorized

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