Text Books Go High Tech With the Help of Apple [VIDEO]

Technology makes another big leap, this time in education. The folks at Apple are looking for publishers to move text books to the iPad for easier more interesting reading. Not only might this be a terrific new learning tool but it will cut down on having to carry around a bag full of heavy books.

While this all sounds like a good idea in theory it does have it's drawbacks. Text books are bought by school districts not individual students and they are reused for a few years before being replaced by updated ones. This means it might be too expensive and unrealistic at least at the high school level. However, I think for college students it would be a great idea.

Two book companies have already signed on to supply Apple with textbooks, Pearson PLC and McGraw-Hill and a third, Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt is said to be planning on joining the others but none were available yet.

The text books would be available for around $15 and schools would be able to buy them and then issue the students redemption codes to download the books to the iPad for their use.

As I mentioned it might have a few kinks that need working out before high schools could use them but for college students this is a great idea. Not just for cutting down book costs either. Now when I was in school almost 20 years ago it cost me upwards of $700 each semester for books, half of which I never used and then was not able to sell back.

Apple has an app called iTunes U, where college students can download and share videos and audio lectures with others. GREAT idea if you ask me!!

They also released an app called iBook Author where a person can create their own book. Some professors would love to do this because they hate the actual text book material and would like to use only bits and pieces they do like along with their own knowledge to create a better learning tool for students.

There are some great gems on these apps too. Like being able to highlight certain sections, look up definitions, make note cards and study guides and more.

Check out the video of the release of the text book technology made today at the Apple event at the New York Guggenheim Museum.