New stats: Book publishing is growing; e-book revs and sales up over 1000% — PaidContent.org
On 07/27/2011,
in computer science, digital learning, digital textbooks, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), education technology, emerging technologies, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), interaction design, interactivity, interface design, K-12 related, mathematics, multi-touch, programming, publishing, Uncategorized, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design,
by Daniel Christian
From Brett Victor’s “Kill Math” page
The power to understand and predict the quantities of the world should not be restricted to those with a freakish knack for manipulating abstract symbols.
When most people speak of Math, what they have in mind is more its mechanism than its essence. This “Math” consists of assigning meaning to a set of symbols, blindly shuffling around these symbols according to arcane rules, and then interpreting a meaning from the shuffled result. The process is not unlike casting lots.
This mechanism of math evolved for a reason: it was the most efficient means of modeling quantitative systems given the constraints of pencil and paper. Unfortunately, most people are not comfortable with bundling up meaning into abstract symbols and making them dance. Thus, the power of math beyond arithmetic is generally reserved for a clergy of scientists and engineers (many of whom struggle with symbolic abstractions more than they’ll actually admit).
We are no longer constrained by pencil and paper. The symbolic shuffle should no longer be taken for granted as the fundamental mechanism for understanding quantity and change. Math needs a new interface.
Also see:
On 07/20/2011,
in digital textbooks, e-books, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), e-readers, higher education, innovation, K-12 related, learning, learning theories, memory, metacognition / metacognitive skills, publishing, strategy, student teaching/teacher education, teachers, teaching & learning,
by Daniel Christian
Teaching secrets: Teaching students how to learn — from Edweek.org by Cossondra George
Excerpt:
Awareness of common pitfalls and effective strategies can support your efforts to help students “learn to learn” throughout the school year…
From DSC:
I sure wish instructional designers, subject matter experts, professors and teachers could annotate their “books” to give concrete, practical ideas and strategies that would help students to better study, understand, and remember the relevant materials. My early take on this might be achieved via a multi-layered, digital textbook approach that would hopefully address metacognition and help students learn how to learn:
On 07/18/2011,
in digital textbooks, e-books, e-readers, publishing, student-related, textbooks, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Amazon rolls out textbook rentals for Kindle, promises discounts up to 80 percent — from by Donald Melanson
Addendum on 7/18/11:
- Textbook rentals come to the Kindle: Probably not a money-saver — from ReadWriteWeb by Audrey Watters
On 07/14/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, animation, Apple, art, changing business models, convergence, creativity, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, generational differences, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, interaction design, interactivity, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, love of learning, media/film, multimedia, new business models, new media literacies, publishing, quality, reading, storytelling, technologies for your home, tools, trends, user experience (UX), user interface design, using teams,
by Daniel Christian
Check out:
- Fantastic new children’s iPad book by author William Joyce — from curiositycounts.com as curated by Maria Popova
Also see:
- iTunes Preview of “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” by Moonbot Studios LA, LLC
- The Making Of Morris: Part 4 (Invitations To Adventure)
- The Making Of Morris: Part 3 (Thousands Of Books)
- morrislessmore.com
- MOONBOT Studios: An interplanetary creative expedition of story and art
From DSC:
This also nicely illustrates why I believe we need to use teams of specialists to create and deliver our learning materials (June 2009).
On 07/05/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, future of higher education, game-changing environment, new business models, organizational change, publishing, reinvent, staying relevant, UK, using teams,
by Daniel Christian
Royal Holloway to validate publisher Pearson’s degree — from the BBC
- Publishing giant Pearson has announced a partnership with Royal Holloway university that will allow it to enter the degree market.
- The university is to validate a degree in business, developed by Pearson, which says it eventually wants its own degree-awarding powers.
- A White Paper last week outlined government plans to allow the expansion of private degree providers.
- But the lecturers’ union warned of a possible focus on profitable courses.
- Pearson said the degree would be available from September 2012.
- It said it was in talks with further education colleges, which would teach the course.
From DSC:
Many of the publishers already have teams of specialists in place; i.e. they’ve already set their tables (see the graphic I created below that represents where I believe ALL institutions of higher education need to get to — and as quickly as possible).
On 06/27/2011,
in 21st century, digital storytelling, disruption, interactivity, internet, new business models, publishing, storytelling, transmedia,
by Daniel Christian
JK Rowling creates transmedia storytelling site Pottermore.com, dumps Amazon — from psfk.com by Piers Fawkes
From DSC:
Many of you have seen this already, but I just got back from vacation and I want to document this event.
Many of you have seen this already, but I just got back from vacation and I want to document this event.
On 06/27/2011,
in innovation, mobile technologies, platforms, publishing, tablets,
by Daniel Christian
Onswipe launches tablet publishing platform with Hearst, Slate, Ziff Davis, Forbes and more — from Onswipe.com
Excerpt:
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (June 21st, 2011) – Onswipe, a platform for publishing and advertising on tablet devices, is launching today with an Iconic group of publishers including Hearst, Slate, and Forbes. The Onswipe platform lets publishers use the scale of their web audience to provide a beautiful app-like experience in the browser. Onswipe is also joined by Iconic advertisers Sprint with Slate and American Express with Marie Claire.
Onswipe provides the ability for publishers to make their content look amazing on tablet devices such as iPad while providing an advertising platform to make publishers boatloads of money. In under 3 minutes, a publisher can make their existing content provide an app-like experience within the web browser to their audience. The Onswipe platform works with publishers of any size whether their audience consists of 100 people or 1 million.