On Friday, I was speaking about electronic learning materials to the Technical Publishers Association. I submitted five provocative arguments:
Electronic materials are going to displace books. Book will follow the digital path taken by music, videos, and newspapers. What Wikipedia and online dictionaries have done to publications will soon affect textbooks.
Quality is not tied to publication format. Quality is a complex issue, and depends much more on other factors than on a publishing platform. For many uses, the quality of open-source material is sufficient.
The added value of e-materials comes from online features. The most important benefits for users are availability, search, links, interactivity, and media elements.
Publishers have not yet been able to develop an effective business model. E-book stores don’t generate much revenue, commercial libraries that charge monthly fee are just starting up, as well as publishers of electronic educational materials. In small language communities like Finland, It’s difficult to apply business models from the far larger, English-speaking world.
Ultimately, ease of use will determine the winner. Usability studies show how crucial a good user experience is to the adoption of new activity. If people can read your book on the device they prefer, without complex logins or downloads, and if you can manage to monetize it, you are a winner.