"Etextbooks attracting involvement of the FFC, Education Department, and Higher Ed" highlights several initiatives currently underway that is transforming this country into a digital nation. Examples such as the Digital Textbook Collaborative, the MUSE project, and institutional “bulk-purchases” of etextbooks are mentioned in the story. But the main takeaway from this article can be summarized by quoting FCC chairman Julius Genachowski,
“We will all win if the players in the digital learning ecosystem—including publishers, device manufacturers, platform providers, internet service providers, schools—work together to accelerate the adoption of digital textbooks.”
If the leadership on college campuses is serious about adopting digital course materials, all players in the campus community should be involved to make that change. A successful digital campus requires a coordinated effort from across the campus and the discussions surrounding this topic should include as many people who are affected by the change. This includes folks from the college stores, as much as faculty, students, IT, library, and other areas. Given that we are still in a period of trial and error, this is a good time to bring others on board to get their insights. Remember, it take a whole campus to educate a student.
