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Goodbye to heavy backpacks?: Hello, e-textbooks

E-textbooks may soon lessen a student's burden

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By Celia Baker, Deseret News

Published: Saturday, Dec. 22 2012 1:20 p.m. MST

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Summary

Education leaders are calling for quick implementation of digital textbooks to increase learning opportunities and save money for school districts.

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  • E-book sales keep growing despite twists, turns and obstacles

“We are hoping we get high adoption rates of the technology, which allows us to scale our pricing so that digital options are lower in cost than print options”

Michael Busnach

"It's very challenging, because they all support different file formats,” Busnach said. "The whole issue of industry standards has not been fully defined yet."

Even if districts end up providing classroom sets of matching digital tablets, it's not clear which format they will choose. Another question is whether the big companies that publish hardcover K-12 textbooks will dominate the e-textbook world, or be outpaced by tech-savvy newcomers.

The Internet already abounds with online lessons geared for various subjects and ages, created by digital start-up companies such as Coursera and Khan Academy, and many of these lessons are free. Some could morph into textbook replacements, too, said education technology writer Audrey Watters.

Slavin said digital start-up companies unfettered by attachments to printing presses and tree harvesting could prove more adept than traditional publishing companies at making the almost-inevitable transition to e-textbooks. That could leave hardcover textbook publishers scrambling for a profit model — a scenario some have compared to the plight of print-based journalism. But Busnach doesn't think his company will be left behind.

"We are embracing the digital world as much as anyone," he said. "We see it as an opportunity not only for us as a company, but as a way for more people to learn in a lifelong way. We advocate for that. We believe in that."

Traditional publishing companies offer advantages new companies don't have, Busnach said: A ready-made system of content development aligned to grade standards and based on broad research over time, conducted by many experts.

"We're not naïve," he said. "We know there will be plenty of disruptors. The value we bring will continue to be valuable to our customers, and we will continue to be strong content providers in the future."

Email: cbaker@desnews.com

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Featured Comments

See all 17 comments »
Bloodhound
Provo, UT

In other words, we are going to shut down the U.S. printing industry and lose even more American jobs. Of course, it will create more jobs for China. America will likely be a third world country in another decade. Children don't need all the More..

  • 5:41 p.m. Dec. 22, 2012
  • Top comment
Agustis
Sugar City, ID

Someone should check on how much money is contributed to state legislators by the text book industry. This should have happened several years ago.

  • 2:54 p.m. Dec. 22, 2012
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red state pride
Cottonwood Heights, UT

Let's do a cost analysis. If a traditional textbook costs 65.00 and a school uses it for 5 years (most schools use textbooks longer) then the cost per student per year is 13.00. If a school uses a book for 8 years which is pretty standard then More..

  • 6:29 p.m. Dec. 22, 2012
  • Top comment
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Celia Baker

Celia Baker

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