Two key features of the new custom textbooks from Boundless, which cost $19.99, are “active recall” and “spaced repetition.” The eTextbooks frequently summarize information and provide quizzes at important parts of the reading to improve a student’s memorization, the company said.
Using an algorithm designed to detect when a student might forget specific points of the material, they also provide quizzes and flashcards to help cement the lessons in a student’s memory.
In another important development for digital textbooks, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors voted in September to require any and all material created with state funding to be available at no charge to anyone in the state, including college students.
That means students and educators in California community colleges soon will have access to textbooks and other classroom materials made under the Creative Commons Attribution license, a policy that could save money for taxpayers, campuses, and students.
A Virginia community college already is moving forward with open digital textbooks. Tidewater Community College began offering a textbook-free degree program in the fall that could reduce the price of earning an associate degree by about a third.
TCC says its associate of science degree in business administration is the first in the nation by an accredited institution to use only open-source educational materials.
“I think we have a responsibility as a college to do what we can to help control the costs of textbooks, because we know there are students who can’t afford them,” said Daniel T. DeMarte, vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer.
The two-year pilot program is the result of a partnership with Lumen Learning, an Oregon company that helps schools integrate open educational resources into their curriculum.
Despite all these developments, adoption of digital textbooks continues to lag. One reason is that many students like having permanent ownership of a text. Expect more companies to offer flexible licensing of digital texts in the future—something CourseSmart has started to do this past year.
See also:
Pearson invests in Barnes & Noble’s Nook
Free digital textbooks surge in popularity
Community college to offer textbook-free degree
Open-source textbooks projected to save students $3.7M
Google Play, Boundless increase eTextbook options
New state policy could lower textbook costs
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