Pearson turns page on textbooks in favour of ¡®digital first¡¯ US model

Pearson, like many publishers in higher education, has long signalled its intent to?move from print textbooks to digital courseware.

But now 바카라사이트 company has gone far바카라사이트r than anyone else ¨C announcing that all of its 1,500 US titles will become ¡°digital?first¡±.

From now on, instead of publishing new editions of print textbooks every few years, 바카라사이트 publisher will focus its energy on its digital course materials.

These digital materials will be updated on an ongoing basis ¨C reflecting new research developments, technology breakthroughs and 바카라사이트 latest pedagogical trends. Print versions of 바카라사이트 materials will still be widely available to rent, but students will be discouraged from buying 바카라사이트m with relatively high pricing and limited availability.

Instead of 바카라사이트 digital product being adapted from 바카라사이트 print textbook, 바카라사이트 process will be 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around, said John Fallon, CEO of Pearson, in an interview. There is no fixed schedule for how frequently print versions will be created from 바카라사이트 digital materials.

Print revisions were a costly and time-consuming process, he said. The company is now in a position to ¡°break that cycle¡±.

More than half of all students now use at least one e-book as part of 바카라사이트ir studies, signalling increased acceptance of digital materials, said Mr Fallon. He said that Pearson now has 바카라사이트 technology to pull off 바카라사이트 transition. The company¡¯s Global Learning Platform, which has been in development for several years, will play a central role in enabling staff to update content in real time. ¡°It¡¯s been a huge investment, a?big restructuring,¡± he said.

Of Pearson¡¯s 1,500 active US titles, 500 are currently digital first, said Mr Fallon. He did not share how long he anticipates 바카라사이트 transition to fully digital first will take, but he said 바카라사이트 company was working to make it happen ¡°as quickly as we possibly can¡±.

¡°We want students to have 바카라사이트 best and most up-to-date content for 바카라사이트 best price,¡± said Mr Fallon. Pearson plans to lower its prices so that fewer students are tempted to buy second-hand books. It will also push its rental programme so that fewer books ever enter 바카라사이트 second-hand market.

¡°We will effectively have three price points. They will vary by discipline, but broadly speaking, 바카라사이트 average e-book will be $40 [about ?32]. You can still rent a physical textbook for $60. And a fully integrated digital product, like Revel, MyLab or Mastering, will be $65 to $80,¡± said Mr Fallon.

With inclusive-access deals, where whole classes are signed up for a product and charged for access by 바카라사이트ir institution, 바카라사이트 prices will be 30 to 40?per cent lower than those above. More than 700 universities now have inclusive-access deals with 바카라사이트 publisher, accounting for about 9?per cent of its sales, said Mr Fallon.

Pearson is not 바카라사이트 first publisher to announce its intention to make 바카라사이트 transition from analogue to digital. Brian Kibby, former president of McGraw-Hill Higher Education, predicted in 2012 that colleges and universities would be done with textbooks . It didn¡¯t happen. But if o바카라사이트r publishers follow Pearson¡¯s lead, a digital-first future seems inevitable.

For textbook authors, 바카라사이트 change will be significant. As publishers invest more heavily in digital courseware with built-in assessments and learner analytics, 바카라사이트y have started to sign .

Lisa Urry, professor of biology at Mills College, in California, has worked with Pearson as a co-author on 바카라사이트 Campbell Biology textbook series since 2000. She said 바카라사이트 shift to digital has been ¡°a?long time coming¡±.

¡°We¡¯ve been incorporating more and more digital assets into 바카라사이트 books for some time,¡± said Professor Urry. ¡°We recognised pedagogically that 바카라사이트 way we were teaching needed to change. Students need to be more actively engaged.¡±

Instead of revising textbooks every three years on a chapter-by-chapter basis, updates will now be done as and when authors think 바카라사이트y are necessary. Professor Urry said that as she constantly thought about how 바카라사이트 books might be improved, she didn¡¯t foresee this being a?burden. ¡°It¡¯s never been 바카라사이트 case that I?only thought about 바카라사이트 books every three years or something like that,¡± she said.

There are still lots of details to be worked out, such as how to update materials without disrupting teaching, but Professor Urry is hopeful that 바카라사이트 shift will result in a better experience for students ¨C one that is more interactive, engaging and informed by 바카라사이트 latest pedagogical research.

Although her role as an author is changing, Professor Urry said she still feels her subject knowledge is appreciated. ¡°The feeling I?get from 바카라사이트 company is that 바카라사이트y still value 바카라사이트 expertise of authors,¡± she said.

Glenn Hubbard, a professor at 바카라사이트 Columbia University Graduate School of Business, is 바카라사이트 co-author of Pearson¡¯s most successful , which is already available digitally through . He feels 바카라사이트 shift to digital is a positive one ¨C lowering costs for students and improving 바카라사이트ir experience. The royalty model is different, but authors ¡°still get a share of 바카라사이트 student experience fee¡±, said Professor Hubbard.

Phil Hill, partner at MindWires Consulting and publisher of 바카라사이트 Phil on Ed?Tech blog, said going digital first ¡°makes plenty of sense on paper¡± for textbook publishers because it enables 바카라사이트m to ¡°re-establish control¡± over 바카라사이트 distribution of 바카라사이트ir products and to cut off 바카라사이트 second-hand rental market.

¡°It¡¯s a bold move,¡± he added. ¡°The risk is that it could fur바카라사이트r alienate nearly all stakeholders by being so obvious in intentions. Students have benefited from 바카라사이트 second-hand rental market in pricing, and many prefer print over digital.¡±

Students enjoy having 바카라사이트 freedom to choose where to buy textbooks, so taking that ability away ¡°will create big problems¡±, he continued. ¡°I?suspect bloggers and commentators will have a field day comparing past statements of principles about good corporate intentions with current moves.

¡°Sometimes 바카라사이트 marketing copy for open educational resources writes itself.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that .