Since you learned about the basic anatomy of an e-textbook in the previous section of K-12 education, here we are going to specifically evaluate the viewpoint of e-textbooks from students and instructors in higher education.
The Pain Point: Textbook Costs are a Major Source of Financial Stress for Post-Secondary Students
CUBE Analysis
Of digital textbook solutions offered for accountable economic value
Market Focus
As higher education increases its adoption of learning technology, numerous companies are racing to decrease the price of digital textbooks. While traditional print textbooks can still cost hundreds of dollars, the average digital textbook is now approximately $40 (McKenzie, 2018). However, the majority of purchases for digital textbooks are not individual purchases (i.e. not being purchased by an individual student) but are instead bought centrally through inclusive access deals with higher education institutions (McKenzie, 2018).
Types of Offerings
There are many offerings available in higher education, but this analysis will focus on three of the major textbook companies, and how they are re-branding themselves to offer services, content, and infrastructure.
1. Pearson Education Vision: "To help people make progress in their lives through learning"
In 2017 Pearson was the top publisher in the world (Milliot, 2018). They currently offer traditional textbooks as well as eTexts (content) and various modes of digital course content. They also offer digital learning environments (infrastructure) to support student learning such as MyLab and Mastering (services) to create personalized online learning for students.
Learn more about MyLab and Mastering here: https://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/
2. McGraw-Hill Education Vision: "To unlock the full potential of every learner".
Interestingly, McGraw-Hill has begun to recognize the issues of access and affordability with respect to textbooks. To address this issue (and likely compete with OERs), McGraw-Hill offers a service called "Inclusive Access" that is a partnership between an institution, the publisher, and a bookstore to provide digital textbooks at a reduced cost for students (content).
Learn more about inclusive access here: https://www.mheducation.com/highered/inclusive-access.html
3. Cengage Learning Vision: "Cengage creates learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want."
Cengage Learning has teamed up with Nelson Canada to provide educational resources, particularly focusing on digital textbooks (content) and eLearning platforms (infrastructure) . For example, their product MindTap is a service that provides learning analytics, content, and personalization all in one place (services). And you guessed it- part of the "content" piece is an interactive digital textbook.
Learn more about mindtap here: https://www.cengage.com/mindtap/pvd-demo
In 2017 Pearson was the top publisher in the world (Milliot, 2018). They currently offer traditional textbooks as well as eTexts (content) and various modes of digital course content. They also offer digital learning environments (infrastructure) to support student learning such as MyLab and Mastering (services) to create personalized online learning for students.
Learn more about MyLab and Mastering here: https://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/
2. McGraw-Hill Education Vision: "To unlock the full potential of every learner".
Interestingly, McGraw-Hill has begun to recognize the issues of access and affordability with respect to textbooks. To address this issue (and likely compete with OERs), McGraw-Hill offers a service called "Inclusive Access" that is a partnership between an institution, the publisher, and a bookstore to provide digital textbooks at a reduced cost for students (content).
Learn more about inclusive access here: https://www.mheducation.com/highered/inclusive-access.html
3. Cengage Learning Vision: "Cengage creates learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want."
Cengage Learning has teamed up with Nelson Canada to provide educational resources, particularly focusing on digital textbooks (content) and eLearning platforms (infrastructure) . For example, their product MindTap is a service that provides learning analytics, content, and personalization all in one place (services). And you guessed it- part of the "content" piece is an interactive digital textbook.
Learn more about mindtap here: https://www.cengage.com/mindtap/pvd-demo
Who is the buyer?
The ultimate burden of buying the textbook falls on the student, but many companies are leveraging access agreements with institutions to reduce costs for students.
Global Target
Wired Anglophone countries are a prime market for digital textbooks. For example, growth of digital textbook usage in the US is attributed to rising costs of traditional textbooks as well as the sheer availability of digital content (Reynolds, 2011). However, developing nations and regions with poor quality internet have become a special focus of e-books and are being funded by global partnerships such as the World Bank (The World Bank Group, 2019).
Market Status and Competition
As digital textbooks are beginning to be implemented globally, and with the rise in information and communication technologies (ICT) and the web 2.0, there is a great opportunity for digital textbooks. As noted in Chapter 2, one of the greatest benefits to digital textbooks is access. Increasing access will allow those in variable markets (such as those that do not support learning tech) to gain access to digital Textbooks potentially through the provision of support by multi-national organizations such as the World Bank.
In terms of competition, one could argue that digital textbooks in higher education could work with a learning system, substitute for other forms of learning (i.e. by replacing print textbooks, for example) and competing with existing learning systems.
In terms of competition, one could argue that digital textbooks in higher education could work with a learning system, substitute for other forms of learning (i.e. by replacing print textbooks, for example) and competing with existing learning systems.
What about open educational resources (OERs)?
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Open educational resources are "materials used to support education that may be freely accessed, reused, modified and shared by anyone" (Downes, 2011).
Whereas textbook companies venture into digital textbooks for accountable economic value; those who construct OERs are largely doing so as a not-for-profit social value. For example, early in the implementation of OERs, Downes noted that the motivation for the development of OERs is primarily altruistic (Downes, 2007). The major competitor for large textbook companies are a growing host of open educational resource databases. For example, on OER commons (https://www.oercommons.org/hubs/open-textbooks) you can find hundreds of free open education textbooks for numerous disciplines in higher education. You can also find open providers for higher education, including BC Campus! Are OERs as of high quality and as effective as traditional textbooks? A meta-analysis by Hilton (2016) showed some benefits of OER compared to traditional textbooks. You can download this paper for free here (it's open!): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11423-016-9434-9 and you can check-out a summary of the work in the youtube video to the left. |
Page developed by: Sarah McLean
References
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- Bliss, T. J., Hilton III, J., Wiley, D., & Thanos, K. (2013). The cost and quality of online open textbooks: Perceptions of community college faculty and students. First Monday, 18(1).
- Downes, S. (2011, July 14th). Open educational resources: A definition [Weblog comment]. Retrieved from http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2011/07/open-educational-resources-
- definition.html
- Downes, S. (2007). Models for sustainable open educational resources.Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, 3,29-44. Retrieved from ijello.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3p029
- -044Downes.pdf
- Hilton III, J. L., Gaudet, D., Clark, P., Robinson, J., & Wiley, D. (2013). The adoption of open educational resources by one community college math department. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 14(4).
- Jhangiani, R. S., & Jhangiani, S. (2017). Investigating the perceptions, use, and impact of open textbooks: A survey of post-secondary students in British Columbia. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4).
- McKenzie, L. (2018). Are ETextbooks affordable now? Inside Higher Education. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/05/01/publishers-race-reduce-costs-digital-textbooks
- Millar, M., & Schrier, T. (2015). Digital or printed textbooks: which do students prefer and why?. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 15(2), 166-185.
- Milliot, Jim (2018). “The World’s 54 Largest Publishers, 2018”. Retrieved from: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/78036-pearson-is-still-the-world-s-largest-publisher.html
- Petrides, L., Jimes, C., Middleton‐Detzner, C., Walling, J., & Weiss, S. (2011). Open textbook adoption and use: Implications for teachers and learners. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 26(1), 39-49.
- Raible, and deNoyelles (2017). “Exploring the Use of E-Textbooks in Higher Education: A Multiyear Study” Educause Review. Retrieved from: https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/10/exploring-the-use-of-e-textbooks-in-higher-education-a-multiyear-study
- Reynolds, R. (2011). Trends influencing the growth of digital textbooks in US higher education. Publishing Research Quarterly, 27(2), 178-187.
- The World Bank Group, 2019. "Using e-readers and e-books in education in developing countries". Retrieved from: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/edutech/brief/using-e-readers-and-e-books-in-education-in-developing-countries
- Weisberg, M. (2011). Student attitudes and behaviors towards digital textbooks. Publishing Research Quarterly, 27(2), 188-196.
- Whitford, Emma (2018). “Textbook Trade-off”. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/07/26/students-sacrifice-meals-and-trips-home-pay-textbooks