Policy Matters

Writing for the Associated Press (AP), Josh Lederman reports on recent comments by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan who wants to see traditional textbooks rendered obsolete in a few short years. The article, which has a decidedly K-12 perspective (more on that below) notes the potential economic benefits of textbook digitization. It also notes the importance of digital textbooks when it comes to keeping up with educational systems in other countries where this trend is well underway.

Inside Higher Ed has posted a summary of findings from the Education at a Glance report on global education trends as identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  The formation of OECD dates back to 1960 and its principal objective is to …promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.

Here’s a Texas-sized story about an ongoing debate in the Lone Star state over textbooks and technology. It is a K-12 story but it is all about a major question we at UMassOnline face all the time: what is the best allocation of funds for technology; what is the right balance of new and traditional?