Not Like Other Media: Digital Technology and the Transformation of Educational Publishing

Abstract

This article compares the surge of interest in educational technology to the technology-driven transformation of business models in content-driven sectors such as music, film, and television. Focusing on how technology is influencing educational learning materials, it argues that the comparison with providers such as iTunes and Netflix is fundamentally flawed. In other content-based sectors, technology has vastly improved the value chain and user experience without fundamentally altering the content of music, film, or books. Education is different, however. Education technology must transform the very nature of the educational process. In learning, the relationship between the student and learning content must be interactive, and differentiated. The most successful emerging education technologies show how publishers can create individualized learning experiences by using technology to shape content that meets the real needs of real students.