It has long been said that textbooks in digital format can provide easily portable, highly enhanced content.
EBook technology marches on, and today publishing giant Ingram Content Group’s chief e-textbook solution, Vital Source Technologies, Inc. and global academic book, journal and online reference content publisher, Taylor & Francis, announced the formation of Routledge Interactive. This new product alliance will give the educational community great control and capabilities by using media-rich interactive content.
With the purchase of a Routledge Interactive textbook, the student receives 12-month complimentary access to the e-textbook through the Vital Source Bookshelf® platform. Based on the particular textbook, each title includes specially-tailored interactive content. This can be anything from embedded videos to walkthroughs and quizzes. The Bookshelf platform makes it possible to search functionality and note-sharing, all within an easily portable mode.
“By providing these enhanced e-textbooks, with interactive content embedded within the text, we are empowering students and educators to more easily access our digital content and create their own personalized learning experience, combining the best of print and digital. This innovation is one of many examples of Routledge responding to the changing needs of the market,” said David Cox, Head of Digital Publishing & Development, Routledge Books.
The Vital Source Bookshelf platform fully supports EPUB3 and can be accessed online or via download on a variety of device types. This includes Mac®, Windows®, iPad®, Android®, and Kindle Fire®.
Taylor & Francis have made some of their best textbooks into integrated book and e-textbook packs through Routledge. Students and educators with print textbooks are encouraged to gain more from interactive content like LMS-ready assessments and author videos via the Bookshelf platform.
Their e-textbooks were developed using the EPUB3 format standard and Vital Source FLOESM, an interactive learning object publishing platform. Based on HTML5, the EPUB3 format supports rich media, interactivity, global languages and enhanced accessibility features in e-textbooks. Additionally, utilizing the Vital Source FLOE platform, the team from Routledge created HTML5 learning objects. Quizzes and assessments are seamlessly integrated within these state-of-the-art textbooks. Interactive learning objects created with FLOE are easily embedded throughout e-textbooks and can be set up to report directly to learning management system (LMS) grade books through Vital Source LMS integrations.
“Vital Source is committed to using technology to enhance the way people learn,” said Kent Freeman, Chief Operating Officer, Vital Source Technologies, Inc. “By combining EPUB3 with the tools available from Vital Source, we are bringing interactivity, media support and integration possibilities to e-textbooks. Together with Taylor & Francis, we have created a powerful learning tool.”
Through longstanding relationships with more than 300 of the best- known publishers, Vital Source, is one of Ingram’s fastest growing businesses. There are more than 2.9 million registered users on 6,000 campuses in 200 countries and territories worldwide. Vital Source is firmly positioned as a market leader in the digital learning space. Their education and technology background is combined with the book industry resources and leadership of Ingram.
About Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group includes the imprints of Taylor & Francis, Routledge, Garland Science, Psychology Press, Europa and CRC Press. They is a leading academic publisher in the humanities, social science, behavioral science, built environment, life science and technical fields. For more information visit www.taylorandfrancis.com
About Ingram
Ingram Content Group Inc. is a subsidiary of Nashville-based Ingram Industries Inc. The company provides books, music and media content to over 39,000 retailers, libraries, schools and distribution partners in 195 countries. Ingram’s fully integrated physical and digital distribution, logistics, and manufacturing solutions are in use by more than 26,000 publishers to access global consumer demand, and realize the full business potential of book content. Ingram’s operating units are Ingram Book Company, Lightning Source Inc., Vital Source Technologies, Inc., Ingram Periodicals Inc., Ingram International Inc., Ingram Library Services Inc., Spring Arbor Distributors Inc., Ingram Publisher Services Inc., Tennessee Book Company LLC, Coutts Information Services, and ICG Ventures Inc. For more information, visit www.ingramcontent.com
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Morgan St. James’ columns appear in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles editions of Examiner.com.. She is the author of ten published books. The Kindle edition of Can We Come In and Laugh, Too?, the delightful memoir of Rosetta Schwartz edited and partially written by St. James, has been read by thousands and will be free on March 14-15-16 at Amazon.com.
Her book Writers’ Tricks of the Trade: 39 Things You Need to Know About the ABCs of Writing Fiction was named to Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s list of Top Ten for 2011 on MyShelf.com. She frequently presents workshops for organizations and conferences.
For more information visit: www.morganstjames-author.com, http://writerstricksofthetrade.blogspot.com
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