For years Apple has changed the way that college students learn with the creation of iBooks Textbooks, but now the company has expanded their digital textbook reach to Europe, Asia and Latin America. Not only that, but the iTunes Course Manager has also spread to international markets in Malaysia, Thailand and Russia just to name a few. Now students in other countries can receive a quality education while saving a subtantial amount of money by using digital e-textbooks.
The Apple Initiative
With iBooks Textbooks, students can read textbooks right on their iPad. What makes Apple’s textbook service so unique is that students have access to high definition diagrams, a system that can track their notes, interactive animations, videos and photos as well. The application includes roughly 25,000 textbooks that include the complete core curriculum for the American high school system in addition to the full secondary education core curriculum for the United Kingdom.
The History of Textbooks
While textbooks are a multi-billion dollar a year industry, many textbooks are too expensive for students to purchase, which means that they aren’t receiving a quality education and might not even be able to complete their degree program because they don’t have the books that they need.
Something else to think about is that textbooks are heavy and seem to come out in a new edition almost every year, which means that students have no choice but to pay for the latest edition in order to pass a class. Even though students can buy or rent a used book, they’re still left with a heavy backpack of books to haul around. With the implementation of electronic tablets like the iPad, students now have the option of downloading several digital textbooks at more affordable prices all on a single device. These new electronic textbooks are also more interactive than regular textbooks, which can make it easier and more enjoyable for students to learn. Apple’s aim is to make the iPad the main learning tool in classrooms.
Out With the Old
In the past, teachers would write information on the board and students would learn that way. New technology is changing the game so that students have a more interactive and varied learning experience.
Not only is the iPad beneficial to students, it’s also a great tool for teachers because it makes it easier for them to keep an eye on how well their students are learning the material so that they can personalize lesson plans if necessary. Another great thing about the iPad is that it makes homework and outside learning easier for students.
Teachers can now expand their lesson plans by including video lectures and presentations for students to follow along with.
Course Competition
Apple isn’t the only company that seeks to capitalize on interactive learning. One advantage that Apple has over other businesses is that they’ve already proven themselves as a leading contender in the education, publishing and content industries.
Apple is more popular in the US than in any other country, and the company has also taken steps to work with school districts to make sure that their students have access to iPads. With their expansion to international classrooms, Apple will most certainly increase their educational content as well as their business reach.
