I admit this will feel more like a ramble and not a definite plan...but rest assured, I've been doing my research. The premise of my argument and how difficult it is to prove has not been lost on me. Really, though there are many resources out there with lots of materials to give me tidbits of information I've not found the treasure trove. Government committees have been formed to look into the entire subject of textbooks pricing and their effects on students. And while it is entirely beneficial to look at those reports, I'm looking at a wider view here.
I haven't been very clear about what my intentions are concerning my topic with good reason. I'm looking to mold this into a profitable springboard for me and a company that I am in the process of forming. The way I see it, the student market in universities are resentful of the current climate in the textbook world, and I am looking for ways to enhance and make more relevant the learning experience.
Fast forward 20 years from now... or 40 ... or 100. Paper will be a relic. Learning will come, as it always has, from multiple formats...only with a single piece of technology to aid us in visual and auditory learning outside of the classroom. Tablets are a great way to visualize this concept. The entire printing industry is still figuring out what they can do with this new arena. I see an education application that has text, video, audio tracks, links to primary source materials, video conferencing with professionals in the subject, online study groups that can collaborate quickly and efficiently...all in one. How do we begin in that direction?
Sounds interesting, do you plan on staying close to the topic of text books only? I work with international clients everyday, we do online web conferencing, are you going to explore how that technology by impact the education system as well? E-books, online classes... will you address how society is becoming less face to face (ie facebook and text msgs) and more of an online society? Could turn out to be a very broad topic but might be interesting to address some of those prominent themes.
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeleteI'm going to seize on the question with which you end your post--"How do we begin in that direction?" One way to think of this project is as a well-researched, fully thought-out answer to just that question. You've set yourself a fairly clear challenge--to reinvent the textbook industry in a manner both profitable and pleasing to the students, good for the next generation at least--and you'll need to do a great deal of work, within and beyond the capstone thesis, to research and plan your assault on that challenge.
Kevin,
ReplyDeletethis clarifies what you're up to; and it has the potential to be a good thesis. But, so far, there's nothing but inference. Move quickly into actual research. Especially if you hope to make a business of this, you'll need to be a real expert on the subject and not just someone who has a sense for the problems and possibilities.
What does a real expert need to know?
Actual costs?
Current practices?
Real possibilities?
etc.