eBooks and Textbooks of the future #eBook #Infographic
As some of you will know I am a firm believer of eBooks and their place in future of learning and learning materials, as well as popular fiction. This is why I though I would post the link to this Infographic on eBooks and textbooks of tomorrow:
[Click to enlarge]
Via: OnlineEducation.net
Interesting facts that the graphic contains:
- Digital textbooks are (on average) 53% cheaper than traditionally printed versions
- Don’t invest in whiz-bang highlighter pens, invest in a tablet and use your finger to highlight instead
- Included video and graphics bring the subject to the fore and in an interactive and engaging manner
- New media will complement rather than distract from the original textbook message (depending on the author’s use of the media surely?)
What is your view of eBooks and their place in academia? Please leave a comment below and share your views.
Interesting to see it list digital versions of textbooks as upto 53% cheaper… in reality ebooks of textbooks can often be a lot dearer due to the various publisher models which can include levies for concurrent access, credit based systems for number of ‘reads’, hosting fees and prices that reflect the loss of multiple copy purchase. I’ve seen an ebook quotes at 18 times the price of the print copy. These elements are undoubtedly influencing uptake, and are reflective of publishers adjusting and experimenting to changes in their field. They also facilitate volume and collection purchases, and are trialling patron driven acquisition models, so it’s not all bad. However, the mainstream uptake of ebooks, where the consumer expectation is that they offer a saving over the print version is going to challenge this, and I wonder if the figure in this diagram is based on that model (Amazon?).
Hannah
Hi Hannah, and thanks for the comment.
I do not know where the facts and figures come from but I have not seen any eBook/eTextbook at anywhere near half the price of the paper copy, and have also seen a marked increase in some instances, like you report here.
However, we are at the start of the eBook ‘revolution’ and perhaps it is going to take a brave publisher to realise the potential of the format, as well as the technical implications of including multimedia content and interaction, and bring the text to life?
Once we see a larger proportion of publishers embrace this technology will we see the prices fall or will they ‘fix’ them at a high level among themselves (e.g. energy suppliers)?
All the best, David
We are working on a new transmedia model of the eBook where video narratives are the backbone. We start with documentary film episodes and layer in relevant eBook content, slides, animations, assessments, web resources along the video timeline. You can check it out at http://www.inthetelling.com. Learners have the choice in our model of watching, listening, reading, exploring along a visual narrative story line.