An initial list of standards aligned digital textbooks covering subjects such as geometry, trigonometry, calculus, physics, algebra, chemistry, biology and earth science course will be launched in August. A number of electronic books have already been submitted and are in the review process. Academic publishers and content providers have been invited to submit further materials for consideration by the California Learning Resources Network. The deadline for submission is June 15 to allow for review in time for the forthcoming school year.
Phase two of the initiative, presently in development, will make the new digital textbooks available for all grades. Interactive content will be included and a state wide web site showcasing books available will be the long term goal.
The scheme could potentially save Californian schools millions of dollars. It’s estimated that a school district with around 10,000 high school students could save $2 million dollars by using free downloadable textbooks in just science and math classes. In 2008, the State of California spent $350 million on textbooks and other printed academic material. Upon the adoption of digital textbooks a significant portion of this money will become available for use in other areas.
Another advantage envisaged is that, because digital textbooks are more readily updated, it will be easier for students to learn about technical advances and current discoveries as they happen. Conventional paper textbooks tend to be updated, on average, every 6 years – which could mean that, at the tail end of the cycle, students could be missing six years of information.
It also seems probable that alternative, interactive learning techniques could be introduced once the scheme is up and running.
Now, it’s probably worth noting that nowhere in his announcement did Governor Schwarzenegger make any mention of Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader – or any of its competitors for that matter. In fact he said that it would be possible for schools to benefit even without computers or laptops as teachers could print out the material and that would still work out very much cheaper than a traditional text book. So why is the internet buzzing about this “wonderful news” for Amazon?
Well, the most recent addition to the Amazon Kindle ebook reader family, the Kindle DX, launched on June 10 – justlarger version of Amazon’s recently launched Kindle 2 but has a 9.7” screen instead of a 6” one. Amazon have touted it as being perfect for reading newspapers, magazines and – wait for it – academic textbooks.
Amazon have already established agreements with at least three academic publishers and some higher education establishments have publicly announced that they make the Kindle available to their students. All things considered, Amazon are currently better placed to take advantage of a sudden introduction of new digital technology in the academic world than most of their competitors.
That’s not to say that they will have it all their own way of course. Sony have teamed up with Google to make Google’s vast library of public domain ebooks available to owners of their PRS ebook reader, a clear indication that neither Google or Sony are willing to give up the potentially huge and lucrative ebook market to Amazon without a struggle. Other competitors also exist and it will be interesting to see how they respond to developments in the market in general and the academic sector in particular.
Meanwhile, it does seem as if Governor Schwarzenegger’s innovative plan for California’s educational future is likely to boost sales of Amazon’s reader, Kindle accessories and books from Amazon’s Kindle store. It seems likely that other states will consider similar schemes and the academic sector of the book market could heat up very quickly indeed. Of course, the academic textbook sector is only one market segment – but it does seem to be to the fore. It also offers Amazon and its competition an ideal chance to “get ‘em while they’re young” and establish brand recognition and loyalty which could influence purchasing choices in later life.
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