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Culture & Religion — January 17, 2012

Apple Ready to ‘Digitally Destroy’ Textbook Publishing

Thursday, January 19 is when Apple will announce its development of new educational technology. User-friendly interactive electronic textbooks could seriously disrupt the publishing business.

bigthinkeditors

What’s the Latest Development?

Thursday, January 19 is when Apple will unveil its vision for educational technology. Aimed primarily at the textbook industry, which Steve Jobs called an ‘$8 billion a year industry ripe for digital destruction,’ Apple is expected to announce a tool to help authors and publishers create interactive e-books. What the industry lacks is Apple’s specialty: A good software tool that allows publishers to create engaging digital books just as easy as creating a song is using Garage Band.

What’s the Big Idea?

As textbooks go digital, they will also go social, changing the way students interact with each other and their professors while they learn. “Digital texts would let students interact with information in visual ways, such as 3D models, graphs, and videos. They would also allow students to create links to additional texts, audio, and other supporting materials. Furthermore, students could share those connections with classmates and colleagues.” Students will be able to manipulate the data they are given and share it with the class.

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

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