The digital medium allows for so many benefits, it's befuddling why it isn't the norm. Instead of having to know which of the many textbooks they need for the day, students bring one device. Lesser cases of not having the textbook and having to share. Trees don't have to die. Did I mention multimedia capabilities and information updates? Digital files need no paper and ink and will be cheaper. In the long term, considering the hundreds that will be spent on textbooks, one device with cheaper e-books will be more cost effective.
I suspect a large reason kids still have to lug 400 page tomes to school is the education industry having some obligation to keep its allies in the print and book industry alive. Here's a message to those in the dying industry. It's gonna go. You either profit in the new medium, or someone else is going to.
Someone like E. O. Wilson, who is trying to create a biology textbook called Life on Earth. Wired shows us the first chapter.
His organisation plans to sell University level textbooks at 10 percent of the cost of its printed counterparts. The best part? Kindergarten through 12th Grade editions will be free. How's that for cost effectiveness?
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