The Next Generation of Interactive Textbooks

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Rewriting history has recently become much easier using new software called DynamicBooks. This software, released by Macmillan, one of the five largest publishers in textbooks and trade books, will allow college instructors to edit digital editions of textbooks and customize them for their individual classes.
 
Think Wikipedia for textbooks. According to The New York Times, professors will be able to “reorganize or delete chapters; upload course syllabuses, notes, videos, pictures and graphs; and perhaps most notably, rewrite or delete individual paragraphs, equations or illustrations.”
 
For years, many publishers have offered customized print textbooks, which give instructors the option of reordering chapters or inserting their own writing. But now with DynamicBooks instructors can alter the writing without consulting the original authors or publishers. By going online and logging onto the authoring tool, the book's content will appear on the screen – and professors can then make whatever changes they want.
 
Instructors who have tested the DynamicBooks software told the Times they “liked the idea of being able to fine-tune a textbook.” It can help them adhere to their specific curriculum, and the lower price may attract students who normally purchase used or pirated books.
 
Macmillan plans to start selling 100 titles through DynamicBooks by August. Students will be able to buy the e-books at dynamicbooks.com, in college bookstores, and through CourseSmart, reported theTimes. They can be read on laptops and the iPhone, and perhaps soon on the iPad.
 
Now textbook studies can be added to the endless list of things you can do online. Maybe it’s just us, but wasn’t there a certain something about pouring over pages of text into the wee hours of the morning in the cold confines of the library? Or going to a professor’s office hours for – dare we say it – some face-to-face time? Let us know if you agree by commenting below.
 
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