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” Publishers that dominate the lucrative U.S. textbook market, estimated to have $8 billion in annual sales, claim they aren’t threatened by OER, as open educational resources are called.”

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“Publishers themselves are moving quickly to online content, some of it free. But they’re being challenged on many sides. Earlier this month, Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel described the textbook industry as “unimaginative,” a burden on schools and ripe for change. The FCC funds Internet and broadband services to schools and libraries, recently increasing its spending to $3.9 billion. Rosenworcel is pushing to expand Internet connectivity for students, to eliminate the “homework gap” between rich and poor students, who can’t do work online at home.

“Amid the educational technology boom, plenty of developers have joined the gold rush to cash in by improving the “how” of learning and teaching. Now more are tackling the “what,” seeking to create a vast public library of vetted lessons.”

Goodbye textbooks, hello free online resources – San Jose Mercury News.