Pundits have been platituding over the last few days in response to Pearson's announcement that it will phase out print-based textbooks. To me, the only surprise about this announcement is that it took so long to make it. In any event, it is accompanied by the usual less-than-forthright statements: that it will stave students money, that it will be more convenient, that it will lead to better learning, etc. In fact, what we'll see are higher costs and a market that shifts from ownership (and sharing and reselling) to subscriptions and licensing. And as Bill Rosenblatt says, "the move to digital-first doesn't really complete the digital transition of higher ed content: it's still based on units called 'textbooks,' no matter how they are delivered." More from Bloomberg, the Guardian, CBS News, EdScoop, Copyright & Technology, Inside Higher Ed, Slashdot. Next up: Alexa reads textbooks to you, from Pearson.
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