Students have been using traditional textbooks in school for decades as a way to learn material. Even though textbooks have served the need for good content, the traditional textbook is not without flaws: textbooks lack portability, durability, interactivity, search functions, and up-to-date material. To meet these needs, Apple Company unveiled a number of software applications this year that will re-shape the entire textbook industry.
On January 19, 2012, Apple put on the Education Special Event to break the news on their new apps. At the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, Apple executives and engineers unveiled their plans for iEducation in the year 2012.
Firstly and most importantly, Apple introduced an update to its iBooks application for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad entitled “iBooks 2.” The biggest addition to iBooks 2 is the availability of textbooks: students will now be able to download interactive textbooks to their iPads from their favorite publishers. Digital textbooks will feature “dynamic text, 3D graphics, study cards, notes, glossary terms, and more,” according to Apple’s website. Interested readers can check Apple’s videos that demo iBooks 2 for iPad – they certainly put these words to work.
So, who is going to make these awesome, interactive textbooks? All three major publishing companies, McGraw Hill, Pearson and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, are on board and have already put some of their titles on the iBookstore. While three publishers may seem like a small commitment, it is important to note that these three publishers account for over 90% of the pre-college textbook content in the world.
Of the eight textbooks already available, the Freshman Biology textbook is available. Other titles include Algebra 1, Physics, and Chemistry. While there are only eight textbooks available now, there will be many more to come through the use of the Mac application entitled iBooks Author.
iBooks Author, as Apple said, “is an amazing new app that allows anyone to create beautiful Multi-Touch textbooks — and just about any other kind of book — for iPad.” iBooks Author allows users and publishers alike to create rich textbooks. The application makes it easy for creators to deliver content with interactive images, videos and even embedded keynotes (PowerPoint for Mac). Best of all, the iBooks is available for free on the Mac App Store now.
The best part of textbooks for the iPad might just be the price. Every year, students at Jesuit spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on textbooks. According to Engadget, the prices of Textbooks on the iBookstore can be no more than $14.99. This means that a student will pay no more than $100 on textbooks if he takes six courses at Jesuit. The price is certainly lucrative, as physical textbooks can cost well over $100 for high school level courses.
It is also important to note that Apple released iTunes U, an application for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad that enables users to “access complete courses from leading universities and other schools – plus the world’s largest digital catalogue of free educational content – right on your iOS Device.” iTunes U has great content from universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke, Stanford, Yale, University of Chicago and more.
In addition, iTunes U is a great way for students to expand their knowledge outside of class or even for a specific class. iTunes U makes it “simple for anyone to takes courses anywhere,” according to Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue and can be downloaded for free on the App Store right now.
Even though no new hardware was unveiled, this year’s Apple Event is significant in that it will have an enormous impact on schools across the United States. The event illustrates that Apple wants to improve learning at all levels of education. It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out in regards to iTunes U and Textbooks for iPad. Check out The Roundup’s page over the next few weeks for more on Jesuit’s tablet policy.
Sources:
http://www.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/
YouTube Link (Apple Textbook Re-Invented) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJxZG2Nv4KA&feature=channel_video_title
Apple Keynote (Full Event) –
http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1201oihbafvpihboijhpihbasdouhbasv/event/index.html
