A litÂtle revÂoÂluÂtion is getÂting underÂway. The state of VirÂginia has pubÂlished a new open source physics textÂbook under a CreÂative ComÂmons license. As detailed in this piece from ZDNet, this peer-reviewed textÂbook was proÂduced in less than six months by a team of authors, which includÂed “active researchers, high school teachÂers, and colÂlege proÂfesÂsors, as well as some retirees.” And it was launched on CK-12’s techÂnolÂoÂgy platÂform. Here comes the new world of textÂbook pubÂlishÂing. Quick to press, vetÂted, easy to revise, proÂduced at a low cost by pubÂlishÂers, free for stuÂdents. What’s not to like … except if you’re in the traÂdiÂtionÂal textÂbook pubÂlishÂing busiÂness?
As a quick aside, you can find anothÂer free physics textÂbook (in e‑book forÂmat) at motionmountain.net.
via ccLearn TwitÂter Feed (Open CulÂture TwitÂter feed here)
Wow! We were just talkÂing a few weeks ago in my eduÂcaÂtion techÂnolÂoÂgy class about Open Source softÂware and it’s appliÂcaÂtion towards a classroom/educational setÂting. We had disÂcussed litÂtle things that could be done, but havÂing a whole textÂbook that has sevÂerÂal difÂferÂent peoÂple mergÂing togethÂer to write it is beyond what I thought posÂsiÂble for this stage in Open Source. I think that if more textÂbooks and resources were proÂduced this way, it would greatÂly improve many school sysÂtems, espeÂcialÂly the ones who are still using textÂbooks from the eightÂies simÂply because they cant afford new books, as well as colÂlege stuÂdents who go entire semesÂters withÂout their classÂes books because theyre so expenÂsive. Very neat.
WikÂiÂbooks, has textÂbooks that have been creÂatÂed through colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive effort. I believe there is a lot that can be done in this area that will help eduÂcaÂtion.
I feel that this audio book can serve my B. Ed stuÂdents a lot