2010 TAA Conference on Text and Academic Authoring

Ramada Mall of America Minneapolis, Minnesota

June 24-26, 2010

Textbook Track Session:

Textbook 2.0: The Future of Textbook Publishing

Day/Time: Friday, 10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

Panelists: Brad Fregger, President/CEO, Groundbreaking Press; Michael Boezi, Editorial Director, Flat World Knowledge; Roth Wilkofsky, President, Pearson's Arts and Sciences Communication, English, and Political Science group

Brad Fregger, President/CEO, Groundbreaking Press:

There is no doubt that the Internet is a powerful tool for retrieving and sharing information. However, as we all have learned, the Internet is also unreliable—there is no way to determine if the "experts" actually know what they're talking about. For this, and other reasons, blogs, wikis, and the YouTube will continue to be alternative supplements to the textbook and classroom experience, whether or not the classroom is actual or virtual.

One of the major complaints of students is the high cost of many of our current texts; as a result, many students are not purchasing the text. Providing reduced prices (while in some instances actually increasing author revenue) can make a significant difference to the student's learning experience. Digital printing technology provides the opportunity for dramatically reduced text prices at classroom quantities.

Electronic versions of texts are also needed for convenience, such as using the computer's "search" and "copy-and-paste" capabilities; plus, the easy availability for text access during downtimes.

Brad Fregger believes that textbooks will always be critical to education; the form may change, but the need for a reliable source of information will not. … and … that Textbook 2.0 includes reduced prices and electronic media.

Michael Boezi, Editorial Director, Flat World Knowledge:

In this world of proliferating choices, quality and authorship will still cut through the noise. Michael Boezi will discuss how the current textbook model fails to serve authors, and how authors are at the core of the Flat World Knowledge model. The new "flat world" offers some unique opportunities for textbook authors. Hear from Michael Boezi on what lies ahead not only for authors, but also for their instructor and student constituency.

Roth Wilkofsky, President of Pearson's Arts and Sciences Communication, English, and Political Science group:

Talk these days about the future of textbook publishing invariably turns to technology. For example, consider the buzz around Amazon’s launch of the new “textbook-ready” Kindle. But I believe there is a more fundamental issue than technology per se to consider in looking ahead: How do textbooks become even more effective tools for improving the educational experience? Can textbooks do a better job of engaging students? Of accommodating different learning styles? Of improving learning outcomes? How can authors and publishers rise to the challenges of taking textbooks to new levels of effectiveness? An examination of these questions inevitably loops back to technology, encouraging us to consider it from the broad perspective of its role in furthering the attainment of teaching and learning goals.

About the Panelists:

Brad Fregger:

Brad Fregger has 45 years combined experience in retailing, corporate training, software development, international lecturing, and publishing. He is currently President/CEO of Groundbreaking Press, an author-services book publishing company with offices in Austin, Texas, and a member of the adjunct faculty at Texas State University-San Marcos, Texas, and Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. Brad has produced more than 50 videos, 50 books, 12 audio books, and over 100 consumer and business enterprise software products, including the most successful computer game in the world (Shanghai). He is also recognized as the inventor of the most played computer game in the world (computer card solitaire). He's an international speaker providing programs throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Canada. He's also written six books; his book, Get Out of the Way! - You'll never manage your way to great leadership, was the text in a leadership course held at the University of Texas, Austin. Brad holds a Master's Degree in Futuristics (San Jose State University). His speech, "Earthward Implications of Cosmic Migration," was given at the American Astronautical Society's proceedings in honor of the tenth anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the moon.

Michael Boezi:

Michael Boezi has spent 13 years in higher education publishing, in various roles that have led him to join Flat World Knowledge to help develop one vision of Textbook 2.0. Most recently, Michael was an Executive Editor at Pearson Education, publishing textbooks for the U.S. history course, one of the largest enrolling college courses in the country. Before that, Michael served as an editor at John Wiley & Sons, and as a marketing manager at Addison-Wesley, both in mathematics and statistics.

Michael’s primary role as Editorial Director is to attract new author talent to join Flat World Knowledge in this endeavor to change the publishing industry. Textbook 2.0 will succeed on the strength and vision of the authors involved, first and foremost. Format and delivery will certainly change, but it all rests on a foundation of capable authorship.

Roth Wilkofsky:

Roth Wilkofsky has spent his entire career in college publishing. He got his start in 1970 as a New England sales rep for Holt, Rinehart & Winston. After five years in the field, Roth went in-house as an acquiring editor. He subsequently held editorial and editorial management positions with Random House and McGraw-Hill. Roth joined Pearson in 1993, as head of Longman College Publishing. Currently he is President of Pearson’s Arts and Sciences Communication, English, and Political Science group. Throughout his editorial and management career, Roth has worked exclusively on the soft side. Many texts with which he is closely associated, either as a signing editor or an editorial manager or publisher, are widely adopted throughout the humanities and social sciences, at all levels of the curriculum. Since 2000, Roth has been a member of the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute faculty.