A number of colleges and universities have
already begun exploring some of the many tools now available for creating
media-rich formats for both iOS and Android devices. Boston College, the
University of New Mexico, and English students at Montclair State University
are all working on iBooks Author projects. Instructional technologists at
Chatham University are designing a text on the Vook platform, while those at
Michigan State University are developing open-source options on an HTML5
framework.
College stores appear to remain largely out
of the loop so far, but Services is one of the four core retail requirements of
the College Store of 2015 and a possible way for stores to become part of the
interactive textbook discussion. Store staffers can become the go-to sources on
campus for things such as technology. Take the time to understand how these
online publishing tools work and offer that expertise to faculty.