Mike Gwaltney

School Leadership • Strategy • Coaching

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Books 2.0: iPad App brings a Textbook Publisher’s digital book

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Mike Gwaltney

“What is your Vision for the Future of Books?”

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has developed an iPad app with content that closely mirrors the Holt McDougal Larson Algebra I textbook, but is enhanced to offer interactive features. It is meant to provide a virtual full year algebra course. The app will be piloted in California school districts this year.

The video below shows some pretty powerful features built into the new app. I really like the idea of interactive mobile textbooks, and would love to know your opinions. Workable? A viable possibility for future books? Personally, I don’t want to give up my pleasure reading “Books 1.0-style books”, but this seems a smart innovation for textbooks. Weigh in below!

One response

  1. Karen Lippe Avatar
    Karen Lippe

    Mike, the future is now. Not only should textbooks be interactive, but they need to be relevant to the classroom. Relevance is achieved by instructors editing the textbook to suit their classroom needs. So, let me introduce you to DynamicBooks. Announced in February, DynamicBooks is an online platform used by instructors and students. Dynamic books are low cost, instructor edited, interactive digital textbooks delivered to students on their favorite computing device including the iPhone and iPad. Students can access textbooks online or downloaded and they can print up to 10 pages at a time. Students can keep the downloaded version forever. The first dynamic books purchase began this month. Initially, content comes from Macmillan higher ed textbooks, and in 2011, open textbooks will be available with an access fee of $20. The future is here and DynamicBooks is pioneering the trail.

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