Printed textbooks are likely to disappear from the supply closets of our schools in coming years. Standards for ‘Universal Design for Learning’ are being developed and implemented across the United States. Recently, NIMAS (National Instructional Media Accessibility Standards) legislation was passed that requires textbook companies to make digital XML formatted files available for use by students with a print disability. These digital files can then be used to present the media in many different formats – text to speech, ASL, large print, multiple device formats, etc.
Now that textbook companies are forced to comply with this law, some of them are considering offering both digital and print copies of their titles to all students. Pearson is one of the major publishers to step forward and begin offering this new format. For educators, this introduces a new level of flexibility that can be leveraged to meet the needs of diverse learners.
CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) is working with Google to make book titles available in the XML format for all to access online. They have also begun to put together resources that illustrate techniques in which the XML file format can be customized to include tutorials, vocabulary links, Google maps, and reading comprehension tips for learners. The possibilities to truly differentiate one type of media for multiple types of learners is here.
We are seeing an increasing use of wiki platforms, videos and other online resources in the classroom. What will the role of the textbook be as we look into the future? CK-12 believes it may look like something this. There vision is a community of free materials that can be collected edited and used by teachers and students. These edits can include pictures, links, mathematical formulas, and text. And, it can all be accessed online 24/7.
This new type of online textbook will remain dynamic and fluid. As new information is discovered it can be added, as new resources are found they can be shared, and students will be studying relevant and up-to-date materials that can be customized by their teachers for maximum effect. These tools are also being offered for free. These ideas are driving the textbook policy changes in California.
