Amazon Fire

Amazon released a new tablet called the "Amazon Fire". The new tablet introduces a new era by combining a low cost mobile consumer device with online access to one of the largest retailers today. The intrigue of the of the "Amazon Fire" for higher education is mobility, textbooks and entertainment. Amazon is the vendor of choice by university students for textbook purchases, offering both digital and print versions. The "Fire" will provide Amazon a solution to offer to college students textbooks at a lower cost The company will be able to offer the student a mobile device that provides one stop shopping for all textbook requirements and provide access to unlimited entertainment on is popular "Amazon Prime" video services. Combining this with Amazon's cloud music platform is a powerful Treo for today's student.

An innovative university might see the "Amazon Fire" as a one-stop-shop for student textbook requirements. Amazon has proven with it's Prime service it understands how to be successful selling entertainment to the masses for a low cost and be profitable. A university could team with Amazon to create a subscription model for student textbooks, imagine signing up for a fixed monthly cost for all your textbook requirements. Amazon has the resources to change the marketplace.

Universities have invested in wireless technologies to create a mobile friendly environment. Many students already use services like Hulu and iTunes to access entertainment. Providing a total solution for textbooks, music and entertainment is a possible hit for today's student. Imagine everything available, anytime and everywhere at a low cost.

Consumerization

A Provost watching students use technology on a university campus today recognizes consumerization rules technology adoption. If you doubt this I suggest you count the number of smartphones, tablets, and laptops owned by your students. Students are impressed when the college enterprise systems are friendly with mobile devices and frustrated when the library, class registration, email, and learning management systems only work with computers. Students' purchase of mobile devices have relieved the college of the need to invest in student computers. The result is a CAO should consider reinvesting in mobile-enabling enterprise applications. The forward thinking IT departments have developed a roadmap for the campus and have started the necessary changes. The New York Times had a story on this topic titled "More Offices Let Workers Choose Their Own Devices" in the September 23, 2011 edition.

Interesting E-Text News

Quoted from Indiana University's e-texts at IU news page:

Indiana University has announced eText agreements with the following publishers: John Wiley & Sons, Bedford Freeman & Worth Publishing Group, W.W. Norton, and Flat World Knowledge, along with Courseload, the provider of the eText eReader software. These agreements will result in lower cost options for eTexts that save students money on required course materials and provide new tools for teaching and learning. The IU agreements evolved from two years of pilot testing and substantial input from students, faculty, textbook publishers, and authors. For more information see http://ovpitnews.iu.edu/news/page/normal/19482.html.

Since 2009, IU's objectives around eTexts have been to:

1. Substantially drive down the cost of digital educational resources (eTexts) for students
2. Enable access to high quality educational resources (eTexts) -- in both digital and hardcopy formats -- that are valued by faculty and students
3. Enable new tools for teaching and learning (e.g., social annotation, ease of access)
4. Shape the terms of eTexts models to favor the interests of IU students and authors

The Frequently Asked Questions provides more details on IU's evolving pilot and trial studies.

Wake up Blog

Translational Technologies is reborn. The last year has been busy with job responsibilities and a new doctoral program. The future of the blog will be Provost-focused academic emerging technology suggestions, educational technology, and leadership. Look forward to posts each week. Prepare for brisk discounting of tablets this fall followed by a renewed interest in e-texts.