NYACK, N.Y., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Flat World Knowledge, a publisher of expert-authored, free and open college textbooks, today announced it has signed 30 U.S. universities and colleges to be part of an in-classroom trial for the Spring 2009 school session. Instructors from business disciplines ranging from marketing to economics are offering their students affordable online textbooks instead of traditional, high cost hardcopy textbooks. This in-classroom trial is a follow-up to its 15-school beta test last fall and serves as an opportunity for Flat World to fine-tune its offering for large- scale usage in Fall 2009 courses.
Instructors participating this session took action to address the high cost of textbooks, which have become unaffordable for many students. For instructors, Flat World's open textbooks offer new flexibility in developing courses to their own teaching needs and style.
"Flat World fits my needs for my class by providing content from a first class author at an affordable price and flexible formats for students," said Dr. Marc Weinberger, Professor of Marketing in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. "Flat World's business model has the potential to be a truly disruptive entry into the traditional publishing world."
Flat World's entrance into the open textbook market came amid a growing outcry from students, educators, parents and government regulators who are demanding a halt to the unsustainable textbook price increases of the last decade. Expensive college textbooks, which routinely run students over $1,000 per year, threaten to make higher education unaffordable for many students.
Flat World Knowledge's textbooks, written by leading academics and authors, are available online for free. Flat World generates revenue by selling options to students in addition to the free online book, from low- priced soft covers, to audio versions by-the-chapter, to digital study aids such as podcast study guides and mobile flash cards. Faculty choose the book, and students choose the optimal format and price.
Flat World Knowledge Plans for Expanded Service in 2009
Flat World's 2009 Roadmap begins with the formal launch of its platform and service to the academic community in February, and then plans for enhancing and expanding its service to bring its free textbooks to a broader audience and to expand flexibility for instructors. Flat World plans to unveil a textbook customization feature which will empower instructors to revise the online textbook to meet their exact needs for their class. Students will then get their professor's customized version, whether they use the free online version or purchase print or other options.
Until now, Flat World focused purposely and solely on business course textbooks as means to test the effectiveness of online textbooks in the classroom. The company is currently branching out to include general education courses by acquiring authors and beginning the development of those textbooks.
"Branching into general education courses will have a tremendous impact on community colleges in particular," noted Eric Frank, Flat World Knowledge co- founder and chief marketing officer. "Not only are general education courses the bread and butter of community colleges, community college students are feeling the greatest pinch from the high cost of traditional textbooks. With 40 percent of students sitting in a general education course at any given time, we know that expanding our offering will help a greater population of students."
Flat World's 2009 Roadmap also includes plans to partner with a leading education assessment software company, one that assists professors in generating assignments and managing grade books. The company also plans to support integration with campus learning management systems (LMS), such as Blackboard, ANGEL, and others, by offering LMS-ready versions of textbooks. The company is also working to expand its operations to support international colleges and universities,
"We wanted to share our roadmap so professors and students can see how free and open textbooks can positively impact their teaching and learning experience," added Eric Frank. "We expect 2009 to be a big year for us as we further our commitment to offering alternatives to the high-cost traditional textbook."
About Flat World Knowledge, LLC.
Founded in 2007 by textbook publishing industry veterans Jeff Shelstad and Eric Frank, privately held Flat World Knowledge is a leading publisher of open textbooks for higher education. Flat World's textbooks are written by the world's leading subject matter experts. The books are peer reviewed, professionally edited and developed, and made available for free online to educators and students. Educators have the freedom to use the books as-is, or to modify them to suit their unique classroom requirements. Students can access the books for free, or purchase alternatives from print-on-demand versions of the books, to audio versions, to downloadable versions and more at a fraction of the cost of traditional textbooks. Flat World Knowledge backs its textbooks with an online social learning platform that allows students to learn from each other as well as from the book. More information about Flat World Knowledge is available on the Web at http://www.flatworldknowledge.com.
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