Thread by @BryanAlexander

Pearson's moving to a digital first publication strategy.

Some thoughts and questions.
#thread

(1/n)

(Here's a good source: insidehighered.com/digital-learni…

@insidehighered )

(2/n)

Note how this strategy is deeply aimed against used book sales.
"Pearson plans to lower its prices so that fewer students are tempted to buy secondhand books. It will also push its rental program so that fewer books ever enter the secondhand market."

(3/n)

This should mean a greater emphasis on data analytics within e-books.

(4/n)

I would expect heightened copyright protection activity from Pearson, too.

(5/n)

Will Pearson invest in making digital textbooks something other than glorified pdfs?

(6/n)

To what extent is Pearson's move a response to steadily growing #OER ?

(7/n)

Note @PhilOnEdTech 's comments about how this could even further alienate students, many of whom already dread textbook companies.

(8/n)

@PhilOnEdTech Also note the cavalcade of old people in comments proudly celebrating their textbook experience in the 1960s.
(I'm not exaggerating)

(9/n)

@PhilOnEdTech Will students actually own Pearson digital textbooks? Will they be able to carry content with them throughout their lives?

(10/n)

@PhilOnEdTech Will Pearson offer social sharing functions, a la Kindle's public annotations?

Will @hypothes_is be allowed in?

(11/n)

@PhilOnEdTech @hypothes_is Think print textbooks are expensive now?

"Print versions of the materials will still be widely available to rent, but students will be discouraged from buying them with relatively high pricing and limited availability"

i.e., they'll be even pricier still.

(12/n)

Will Pearson offer extra analytics to classes or campuses buying into inclusive-access deals?
(13/n)

How will Pearson support student-generated content?

(14/n)

And I have to ask: will faculty be able to modify or remix these new digital materials?

(15/n)

Will fewer professors author these textbooks?
Key bit from IHE article:
"As publishers invest more heavily in digital courseware with built-in assessments and learner analytics, they have started to sign fewer textbook authors."
(16/n)

What do you all make of Pearson's move?

/thread

(17/n)

The feeling in this thread is that Pearson's move isn't a good thing.