A recent NY Times editorial examined the cost of college textbooks. The piece outlined factors the writer contends are responsible for rising prices. The editorial also points to the efforts of Congress to require companies to sell resources as individual products rather than as bundles and proposes that online resources could be made available to students at 1/5 of the cost of conventional books.
The argument is traditional. Textbook companies are greedy and bring out frequent editions with unnecessary bundled add-ons to increase profit margins.
The article turns to an ex-company executive Erik Frank to explain why companies might engage in such practices.
Frank has started his own company, Flatworld Knowledge (Created By Experts. Enhanced by Users. Free to All). with a new funding model. Frank proposes giving away college texts online, but making profits from the sale of related resources such as study guides. When I read the Times editorial explaining Franks concept I wondered how the Times writers could present their analysis with a straight face. The writers argue that costs are inflated partly because of unnecessary add-ons. They use an executive from the industry to explain the problem and present this expert as someone who has a new approach and now has his own company. The new approach appears to be to get someone to write books for free and convince them they will make their money by selling add-ons. Let’s hope these writers don’t read the Times article which explains that there is no real market for such add-ons. OR, let’s hope they understand the way things work so they understand this is what those of us in higher ed call “service”.
” … will give away college texts online for free. He hopes profits will come from the study aids sold on the side.”
Public radio also offers a perspective on this same issue.
My reaction, admittedly reflecting a personal bias, is that the situation is more complex than described here. Sometimes a simple explanation is the way to gain public support (someone is ripping you off usually works well), but does little to move anyone toward a real solution. I do believe online resources are an important part of a solution, but what valuable resources do you typically receive for free?
More in a few days.
