E-Texts: Pilots, Lessons Learned, and Policy Implications

Faculty, students, authors, and publishers have a stake in the textbook industry. As textbook publication models are transformed by online interactivity and open-source content, what are the implications for these stakeholders? EDUCAUSE and Internet2 are collaborating on a series of pilots involving electronic textbooks to evaluate technologies and business models in the migration from traditional textbooks to digital learning materials. The multicampus pilots test new models for financing, distributing, and using e-texts. There are a number of policy implications associated with electronic textbooks, including accessibility, affordability, intellectual property rights, and privacy. Lessons learned to date will be shared.