United States: Shift toward digital textbooks

Several US projects launched this autums are expanding the availability of free electronic textbooks using open educational resources (OER), as commercial publishers scramble to make more of their own titles available digitally. The activity comes in response to the mounting cost of textbooks — up 812 percent since 1978, much faster than even tuition fees,…

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“As India invests in its tribal heartlands, especially in regions like southern Chhattisgarh, road development must be part of a broader effort to extend justice, dignity, and opportunity. The goal is not merely movement but belonging. To build roads, then, is to build peace.”

— Pavan Mamidi, The Hindu (11/9)

“India has no operating system, database, or other foundational software that it builds and can trust completely. This leaves the country dependent on external sources that its cannot control or trust. However, the path to independence is not as difficult as it might seem. The open-source model offers a path to a solution. India can create its own versions of Linux and Android that are safe and free of backdoors. It is possible for a dedicated group of professionals to do this.”

— P.J.Narayanan, The Hindu (10/9)