The Post-Textbook World: A Revolution in Access | Innovation Insights | Wired.com

" ... A study by the U.S. Public Interest Group shows two-thirds of college students are declining to purchase textbooks because of high costs. Prohibitive out-of-pocket costs, often equaling more than $1,200 a year, are preventing students from selecting certain courses altogether. There is no excuse for this added financial pain on students. Not since the printing press has access to educational information been so radically transformed. We’re entering a post-textbook world, where free and low-cost, open access to information from public data sources is winning over antiquated, expensive content models ... Most media industries rely on copyright — a song is intellectual property, as is a movie or a New York Times best-selling novel. So, the revolution for these products lies in the method and efficiency of their distribution. However, certain media industries, such as newspapers, face different challenges since facts in and of themselves are not copyrightable. No one can 'own' facts about current events in the way that an artist can 'own' a hit song. Educational publishing is in this same bucket. Most college courses are based on factual information. Today’s course materials can be sourced from openly licensed content online, making expensive and static textbooks obsolete. It’s time for a post-textbook world driven by technology.  Though efforts have been made to promote technology innovations in higher ed that improve learning and reduce cost, textbooks still remain an under-explored area. Layers of bureaucracy have made education the last of the media frontiers to be completely disrupted by the revolution in access. Consumers need access to this information, and the market needs to shift in response. It’s not about things being free — although the cost of education and textbooks are both wildly out of control — it’s about things being better.  The bottom line is that we live in a world that loves technology. Opening up educational content is better for today’s students who grew up in the digital age. With greater access to information, consumers will become citizens, understand their world more completely, and contribute more to society. We have the tools to make this happen, so what are we waiting for?"