Last week the team from the Worldwide Center of Mathematics attended the 2012 Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM) at Hynes Convention Center in Boston. The JMM is the largest annual mathematics meeting in the world with participants ranging from students to leading researchers in mathematics as well as innovators in the field of mathematical education programs. This year the JMM had approximately 7,000 attendees; a new record. We received a larger response than ever by faculty and students looking for affordable and open source textbooks, as well as free online resources.
The newest hype in the social networking world is Google+, developed by Google as a way for people to connect on the web as they would in the real world. Although it is still in beta testing with a limited number of users- the internet is buzzing and most users have great things to say about Google+. After we explored the platform ourselves, we found great ways both students and educators can use the Google+ platform to enhance their education, careers and make social networking an acceptable educational tool.
Easily Share Information with Different Groups of People
Is Google+ an acceptable way educators can connect with their students on social networks? We think so- here’s why. One huge advantage over Facebook is that you are able to create “circles” that group your contacts into categories you create. Instead of adding a student as a “friend” and then giving them access to your Facebook wall, pictures and friends- you can simply add your students into a circle, and then choose what you want to share with them. For example, you can group each of your students into specific courses or classes and communicate with each circle individually.
Google+ and its circles also make it easy to network with other educators across the globe. Teachers can create teacher circles where they can share lesson plans, on-line resources and more. This has the potential to replace popular listservs that fill your inbox with thousands of e-mails that may not all be relavent to you.
Post Messages Instantly for Your Colleagues or Students
One benefit of social networks like Twitter is instant posting. Like Twitter, Google+ has a stream feature (with no limit on characters) that allows users to post messages. Unlike Twitter, you can choose whether the post will be visible to the public or only specified circles. For example, just say your students’ AP test scores were just put on-line. You could message your student circle (or even a parent circle) and let them know instantly that the scores have been posted:
Often teachers make their tweets private on Twitter to make sure that students do not read more personal tweets that are intended for their followers. Google+ makes it possible and easy to have a public page but be selective in what people see what information.
Share Relevant News and Recommend Resources
Another great aspect of Google+ for educators is its integration with google search. When you find a great article or website, you can click the +1 button next to the site on the search results page. This will make the site then appear in your Google+ account in the ‘+1’s’ section.
This is a great tool for educators to share resources, articles and references with students and other educators. Google says, “+1 gets conversations going. Click the +1 button to give something your public stamp of approval. Then, if you want to share right away, add a comment and send it to the right circles on Google+.” If you have created a circle for your class- you can share great articles relating to a particular topic or class with them easily while including a comment with your point of view.
A New Approach to Group Projects
Google+ will also be a great tool for educators to recommend to students for use in group projects. The Hangouts feature allows “face-to-face-to-face chat”- making it easy for students to connect with other students across the country and abroad. Students can use live video chat and hold meetings or work sessions without leaving their dorm rooms.
“Spark” Your Own Personal Interests
Finally, Google+ is a great tool for educators to continue learning and expand their current interests with information from the web. On the Sparks page, you can add interests that will collect stories and information on those particular subjects. For example, let’s say you teach mathematics. You can add it as an interest so you will be kept up to date on the world of mathematics.
Sparks presents a way to generate conversations with friends or other people that share your interest, while also using the +1 tool to recommend links that are recommended by other users.
Since Google+ is in beta testing, there are a limited number of users as well as a few glitches they are working through. Also, Google+ is only made available for people 18 years or older- so this would not be ideal for students in K-12. However, it is ideal for university-level courses, or for teachers to connect with one another. We highly recommend you check it out if you are given access- and share with us ways you think this new social network may benefit students and educators!
During the technology bubble of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, investors saw the potential that new technological innovations could have on the education system, both domestically and internationally. Over $500 million was invested into education technology companies in the year 2000, but the majority of that money was eventually lost as the bubble burst and most of these companies failed. Since then, investors have eschewed getting involved in education technology because the risk/reward profile of the industry was not favorable in their eyes. However, over the past two years, the education technology industry has experienced a resurgence in interest from the investment community. Ed-tech companies received over $177 million in investment capital during 2010 as investors are beginning to realize the important role that technology must play within the education system going forward.
What is often overlooked about the education market though is the stark difference between it versus a more traditional B2B or B2C market. Many of the companies emerging today have not taken the time to understand the nuances of the market and thus will face significant challenges ahead as they attempt to expand. In order for these companies to ultimately make a positive impact on the education system, the entrepreneurs, educators, and investors behind them most make more of an effort to educate both themselves and others on these nuances and what will make a successful ed-tech company.
Concept of Customer vs. End User
In September 2006, Economist James Koch labeled the textbook industry a “broken market” as a way to describe the relationship between the end user (the student) and the person making the decision on what that end user has to buy (faculty). The education industry as a whole could be deemed a broken market because, in many instances, faculty are making decisions for students about what they have to purchase and the students have no influence on that decision (other than to refuse to make the purchase).
While most entrepreneurs and companies are aware of the way the market is structured, very few of them fully understand the ramifications of that structure and how to succeed in a market such as this. In order to create a product or service that gains significant attraction, companies need to focus on creating value in the eyes of both the teachers and the students. This is a very difficult proposition at the K-12 level as most schools are so financially strapped that a product or service must generate significant returns for students to even be considered. In the higher education world, while students may be told by a faculty member they need a certain product or service, but the students are not forced to make the purchase. With tuition costs increasing rapidly, the product or service must have a direct impact on the students’ grades or else it will more than likely be ignored in favor of the cost savings.
Alignment of Values
Like any market, the reason there has been a resurgence in investment dollars within the education market is because of the potential for large returns. The US spends over $600 billion a year on education, which is significantly more than any other country in the world, and it is well-documented that this spending has not resulted in an improvement of student performance. Education is a market in which returns should be measured not only in financial terms, but also the impact new innovations have on students and teachers. By not focusing on both of these objectives, investors will experience the same dismal returns they experienced during the last ed-tech investment boom because the positive effects created by these new companies will be fleeting due to a lack of long-term sustainability.
Lack of Educator Involvement
While most companies have some educators on staff or contracted as consultants, there is still not involvement by these educators in shaping the innovations of tomorrow. In order to spur change within the industry, specialized knowledge is required to create products and services that will in fact improve student performance; the only way to gain that expertise is by truly engaging educators and using their knowledge to influence the development of products and services. Companies need information from educators who are working in the classroom every day and dealing with students on a personal level. For the ed-tech community to truly begin to have an impact of the education system, entrepreneurs need to be more focused on creating meaningful products and services and less focused on creating useless rhetoric to define their newly-created innovations.
Recently, J K Rowling launched the Pottermore online reading experience that will sell Digital Rights Management (DRM)-free eBooks of the series for the first time. Although devices such as Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad lock downloads to their respective platforms to prevent illegal sharing and copying, J K Rowling will be the first author of many to take this open and unprecedented approach. eBooks may soon be available to read on any device, changing the way publishers and the eBook industry conducts their business.
When it comes to textbooks, it is safe to assume that publishers who charge $200+ for their textbooks would not want their student purchasers to have the ability to share their digital textbooks (eTextbooks). With DRM, we can imagine these billion-dollar textbook publishers have only a few major options to protect their texts:
1. Restrict access. To control the use of the eTextbook, publishers could employ a licensing server that locks the use to a specific PC or Mac computer. However, in a student environment, when studying or homework can be done on an iPad, laptop, library computer or even an iPhone- this may limit the usage on college campuses for students.
2. Password Protect. Although passwords can be issued through programs like SharePoint, there are just as many if not more software packages, like PDF Unlocker, which allow users to break into locked the documents. However, if they have the money and the resources to create a non-standard DRM system, they may be successful.
3. Lock digital rights. When offering eTextbooks publishers could secure the digital rights to USB drives or other medias and will therefore charge the same amount or more than their current printed textbooks justified by the cost of the large storage space.
As opposed to the alternatives above, the Pottermore online reading experience is watermarking each eBook at the time of purchase with the identity of the person who purchased the eBook. “While strict DRM ensures that you are the rights holder before you can access the content, digital watermarking (sometimes known as social DRM) simply associates the file to the purchaser. This means that e-Books can be used across any platform, but if they are uploaded to file-sharing websites, the copyright holder should be able to tell which purchaser was responsible (although any file-sharer worth their salt would know how to remove such a watermark),” said Wired.co.uk. They say this is so authorities can track down the “sharer” of the ebook, but it prevents the purchaser from sharing the eBook with someone who did not pay for it by effectively shaming him or her for his or her illegal behavior (although, people often lend out printed books to friends, and they are not often thought of as book pirates.) This watermark strategy challenges the purchaser removes the anonymity of illegal sharing, and pressures him or her to “do the right thing.”
This evolution of eBook and eTextbook can also be compared to consumer purchasing in the music industry. Although there are several free music-sharing, platforms, there are now over 75 million accounts on iTunes linked to credit cards. Obviously people, somewhere, are choosing to purchase their music as opposed to stealing it digitally. Our conclusion is that if the purchaser can justify the 99 cents it costs to buy a song, they will also justify a reasonable price for an eBook or eTextbook and choose to purchase it instead of steal it.
The Center of Math is looking to discover new and innovative ways to release our eTextbooks in a fully functional, fully interactive and DRM-free way. Therefore, we believe if we charge an affordable and reasonable price for our eTextbooks and grant students free-use of the download (as if they purchased the hard-copy text at the bookstore) they will justify this purchase and choose not to share infringe on the copyright.
But just a thought… if these eTextbooks were to be openly shared with the world and math was made available to anyone and everyone, would that be so bad? We don’t think so.
Question for the Math World: Do you think that eBooks should be DRM-free?
We at the Worldwide Center of Mathematics are strong proponents of using technology to help improve education both within the US and around the world; however, as more and more education-oriented technologies are developed, it is important to keep in mind that technological advancements just for their own sake will not be the solution to the educational woes of the global community. These technologies need to be utilized in the right settings and be deployed properly so that students can enjoy the maximum benefits associated with them.
Cost/Benefit Relationship
Nothing can replace the traditional teacher in the classroom and the interaction that occurs between students and teachers. The role of the teacher may shift as technology continues to advance, but their main purpose – to be a facilitator of education – will not change; thus, it is important that we continue to develop and retain the best teachers possible to educate our youth. While integrating technology into the classroom is important, the benefits of this technology, if not utilized correctly by high-quality teachers, will not outweigh the significant costs incurred by its purchase, installation, and maintenance. As such, in some instances it may make more sense for districts and school boards to increase the budget for teachers’ salaries and decrease the budget for technology spending, if it means the schools will be able to retain or attract more high-quality teachers.
Enhance Traditional Learning
Technology should be used in the classroom as a way to augment and enhance traditional learning, not replace it. Technology is exciting and fun for many teachers, but in order for it to be truly effective, these teachers need to consider if its integration will really help the students. Just because a new technology exists, does not mean that it should immediately be implemented until all of the various issues regarding its implementation are considered. Sometimes, the learning curve for a new technology for both the teacher and his or her students is not worth the potential benefits gained by its integration.
The Achievement Gap
It has been well-documented that there is significant achievement gap within the US education system across a variety of different groups of students, especially when these students are grouped by gender, race, and/or socioeconomic status. Many pundits have claimed that the proliferation of technology within the education system should narrow that gap as students are exposed to new types of learning as well as more information. However, technology is expensive, and while costs are coming down, it is still very difficult for low-income families to afford some of the kinds of technologies that are designed to supplement the technology used in the classroom. As such, it is very important for districts, school boards, and teachers when considering implementing new technology to consider both the effect it would have on students in the classroom and at home because a significant amount of learning also occurs when students are at home in the evenings.
Conclusion
Before implementing any new technology, teachers should always ask themselves a number of questions to determine if it is right for their classroom: Is the technology student friendly and easy to maintain? How about the cost? Can it make me more effective? By focusing on how the technology can be used most effectively, teachers can create an environment that will open up even more worlds for students and ultimately allow them to learn as much as they possibly can in the way that best suits them.
Before digital textbooks can achieve widespread adoption, improvements need to be made in every area related to the product, from the readers/tablets used to view the digital books to the level of interactivity that students experience. Here are some recent developments that will influence the adoption of digital textbooks:
eReader/Tablets
One of the biggest hurdles for digital textbooks has been a lack of devices that give students the same kind of usability that printed textbooks offer: the ability to highlight, the ability to annotate, and true durability. With Apple’s recent release of the iPad, some of these issues have been addressed and hopefully as these products evolve, all of these issues surrounding digital textbooks will be solved. Listed below are some of the eReaders/Tablets that have been released as well as some new ones that are on the horizon:
As the “digital age” has evolved, the way we consume information has changed. We now receive our information from a variety of different sources and in a variety of different formats. This evolution has had a profound impact on the way the younger generations learn and consequently, as digital textbooks achieve higher adoption rates, companies should be thinking of ways to make them more effective for students by creating new avenues in which they can learn. Listed below are some companies that have recently begun to develop innovative ways to give students more learning options in a variety of different digital formats:
In theory, the price of digital textbooks should be lower because they do not require the overhead that printed textbooks require to produce (manufacturing plants, warehousing, shipping, etc.); however, that is currently not the case with most of digital textbooks that are available. The traditional major publishers have yet to devise a new business model to make textbooks more affordable, and instead are clinging to their old ways rather than trying to innovate. Listed below are some startup publishers who are trying to promote new business models that would create more affordable textbooks for students:
With the school year fast approaching, there is a new business model that is rapidly gaining popularity within the textbook industry: textbook rentals. Popularized by companies like Chegg.com and Bookrenter.com, the nation’s largest college bookstore operator, Barnes & Noble, recently announced plans to expand its rental service to hundreds of more campuses across the nation. While the textbook renting model does solve a current problem that students have struggled with for years (exorbitant textbook prices), it does not create a business model that benefits the students for the long-term for a variety of reasons.
Move to Digital
As the world rapidly becomes more and more digital in every aspect of life, it is only a matter of time before most textbooks move into a digital format. The publishers have been offering digital textbooks (or supplements) for years, but with the recent explosion of the tablet/eReader, this trend towards digital textbooks is only accelerating. In fact, Nicholas Negroponte, founder of MIT’s Media Lab and the One Laptop per Child Association, recently claimed that in the next five years the digital book will replace the printed book as the more dominant format in the publishing industry. While I do not necessarily agree with this timeline, I do believe that this movement will occur sometime within the next decade.
The issue this raises is that as textbooks do become more digital, the price of printed textbooks will only rise in coordination with the increased adoption of digital textbooks (supply and demand). Consequently, services like Chegg.com and BookRenter.com will have to raise their prices accordingly, and even if one decides to purchase a digital textbook, the price of that digital textbook will still be exorbitantly high because the publishers will want to maintain their margins. Therefore, while textbook renting might be a cost-saver at the moment, it does not create a sustainable model that will reduce costs for students in the long term.
More Effective Educational Tools
From an educational standpoint, textbook renting also does not encourage the evolution of the textbook into a more effective educational tool. It is a common complaint among high school and college staff that very few students read their textbooks any more, and the question is why? Perhaps it is because students are evolving and do not learn in the same way that their parents or grandparents learned. It should be the responsibility of the publishers to recognize this and realize there is a huge market opportunity if they were to develop affordable, multimedia, digital textbooks for students that allow them to choose whichever method best suits their learning style (video, reading, interactive, etc.). Instead of developing new textbooks in coordination with new business models that would truly help their customers learn more effectively and affordably, the publishers are trying to devise ways to combat services like textbook renting and other money-saving opportunities for students to protect their bottom line.
Where Does the Industry Go from Here?
Within the next ten years, the education industry will undergo a transformation that will fundamentally change the way it currently operates; consequently, industries that serve the education market, like textbook publishing, will need to undergo a transformation as well. While currently textbook renting is a great option for students to save money, it will not be a long term solution to making textbooks more affordable and effective for students. Startup publishers like the Worldwide Center of Mathematics and Flat World Knowledge are just the beginning of what will surely be a very competitive market to help bring down the cost of textbooks and ultimately make education more affordable for students.
The Worldwide Center of Mathematics was founded in 2008 by David B. Massey, an award-winning professor with 26 years of collegial teaching experience, and a leading research mathematician in the field of singularities. We produce revolutionary, multimedia calculus textbooks that help students learn more effectively by giving them different learning options. We also record research lectures from world-renown mathematicians at our offices in Cambridge and make them available via our website for everyone in the community. Finally, we produce the Worldwide Journal of Singularities, which is online-only, refereed journal of research in singularity theory.
Is Google+ an acceptable way educators can connect with their students on social networks? We think so- here’s why. One huge advantage over Facebook is that you are able to create “circles” that group your contacts into categories you create. Instead of adding a student as a “friend” and then giving them access to your Facebook wall, pictures and friends- you can simply add your students into a circle, and then choose what you want to share with them. For example, you can group each of your students into specific courses or classes and communicate with each circle individually. 
Recently, J K Rowling launched the Pottermore online reading experience that will sell Digital Rights Management (DRM)-free eBooks of the series for the first time. Although devices such as Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad lock downloads to their respective platforms to prevent illegal sharing and copying, J K Rowling will be the first author of many to take this open and unprecedented approach. eBooks may soon be available to read on any device, changing the way publishers and the eBook industry conducts their business.
