The educational market is a breeding ground for innovation and creativity. Consumers are continuously confronted with change as their academic ideas are challenged and adapted with new discoveries. This familiarity with change makes them more responsive to the digital conversion than consumers in more stagnant markets such as trade publishing
Educational publishers must adhere to the curriculum while also being interesting and unique enough to win out over their competition. Digital products hold a number of advantages over printed textbooks and can give publishers the competitive edge they need. Virtual learning environment (VLE) platforms created by publishers such as Collins’ Collins Connect, Hodder Education’s Dynamic Learning and Pearson’s Active Learn and Active Teach 2.0 -exemplify these new publishing expansions.
Students that are offered an interactive approach to their education are transformed from passive to active learners. Because these online platforms simultaneously incorporate three learning methods: audio, visual and hands on students are immersed in their education more completely than they are when engaging in just one learning method.
Customer support is an essential aspect of online publishing. Publishers need to be aware of any faults in the system and correct them as soon as possible. Additionally publishers need to ensure that the service is functional across a variety of platforms, as students will need to access it both outside as well as inside the classroom. Access to the VLE from home lessens the gap between students who have educational support at home and those who don’t by enabling students to easily engage in self-learning
Offering digital products in combination with printed textbooks provides publishers with another revenue source. Subscription based payment models make the most sense due to users accessing products across multiple devices (Bacon, 2013). However, many schools have a limited budget and may not be able to justify purchasing the digital bonus material (Hall, 2013). Responding to this problem by lowering the price of digital products may not be feasible, as production and maintenance need to be recouped. Offering a variety of service levels with corresponding cost may be a solution to target a wider range of budgets.
Second hand book sales are a big threat to educational publishers. However, this could be circumvented by combining both digital and physical products. If the digital content rights are managed correctly, students would need to buy the textbook first hand to access the digital content thus making second hand purchases less likely.
In a market willing to adapt, digital technology enables publishers to effectively meet their consumer’s needs. Digitally enhanced learning is flashy and exciting but more importantly it is improving the educational market. Educators recognise and appreciate these benefits and so digital products are earning their place in the educational industry. As users become more comfortable with digital learning publishers will be able to explore even more digital possibilities.
Word Count: 475
Bibliography
Educational publishers must adhere to the curriculum while also being interesting and unique enough to win out over their competition. Digital products hold a number of advantages over printed textbooks and can give publishers the competitive edge they need. Virtual learning environment (VLE) platforms created by publishers such as Collins’ Collins Connect, Hodder Education’s Dynamic Learning and Pearson’s Active Learn and Active Teach 2.0 -exemplify these new publishing expansions.
Students that are offered an interactive approach to their education are transformed from passive to active learners. Because these online platforms simultaneously incorporate three learning methods: audio, visual and hands on students are immersed in their education more completely than they are when engaging in just one learning method.
Customer support is an essential aspect of online publishing. Publishers need to be aware of any faults in the system and correct them as soon as possible. Additionally publishers need to ensure that the service is functional across a variety of platforms, as students will need to access it both outside as well as inside the classroom. Access to the VLE from home lessens the gap between students who have educational support at home and those who don’t by enabling students to easily engage in self-learning
Offering digital products in combination with printed textbooks provides publishers with another revenue source. Subscription based payment models make the most sense due to users accessing products across multiple devices (Bacon, 2013). However, many schools have a limited budget and may not be able to justify purchasing the digital bonus material (Hall, 2013). Responding to this problem by lowering the price of digital products may not be feasible, as production and maintenance need to be recouped. Offering a variety of service levels with corresponding cost may be a solution to target a wider range of budgets.
Second hand book sales are a big threat to educational publishers. However, this could be circumvented by combining both digital and physical products. If the digital content rights are managed correctly, students would need to buy the textbook first hand to access the digital content thus making second hand purchases less likely.
In a market willing to adapt, digital technology enables publishers to effectively meet their consumer’s needs. Digitally enhanced learning is flashy and exciting but more importantly it is improving the educational market. Educators recognise and appreciate these benefits and so digital products are earning their place in the educational industry. As users become more comfortable with digital learning publishers will be able to explore even more digital possibilities.
Word Count: 475
Bibliography
- Bacon, B. (2013). Top 3 problems with tablets in the classroom | Digital Book World. [Online] Digitalbookworld.com. Available at: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/top-3-problems-with-tablets-in-the-classroom/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].
- Bacon, B. (2013). Ebooks are actually not books—schools among first to realizing this fact | Digital Book World. [Online] Digitalbookworld.com. Available at: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/ebooks-are-actually-not-books-schools-among-first-to-realize/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].
- Bacon, B. (2013). Streaming Ebooks: A New Distribution Model for Schools | Digital Book World. [Online] Digitalbookworld.com. Available at: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/streaming-ebooks-a-new-distribution-model-for-schools/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].
- Bacon, B. (2013). 3 Reasons Educational Publishing Is Booming | Digital Book World. [Online] Digitalbookworld.com. Available at: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/3-reasons-educational-publishing-is-booming/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].
- Collins, (2014). Collins Connect SIMS-Sync vs Standalone. [Image] Available at: http://connect.collins.co.uk/school/portal.aspx [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].
- Connect.collins.co.uk, (2014). Collins Connect | Digital resources for schools. [Online] Available at: http://connect.collins.co.uk/school/portal.aspx [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].
- Hall. (2013). The business of digital publishing. An introduction to the digital book and journal industries. 1st ed. Andover: Routledge Ltd.
- Hoddereducation.co.uk, (2014). Hodder Education - Dynamic Learning from Hodder Education. [Online] Available at: https://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/dynamic-learning [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].
- Sheikh, U. (2014). Pearson Education, [Lecture] Oxford Brookes University, 11 Nov 2014.