UK-based Yudu Media has launched a digital textbook publishing platform that lets users create textbooks for tablet, desktop and laptop reading.
The company is tapping into changes in the way that students of all ages can engage with educational material from primary through to adult learning. Anyone who remembers carting about a stack of textbooks and binders will appreciate what this might mean.
The new platform helps educators create documents that can be annotated, bookmarked and additional materials can also be integrated by students. They are synchronised on the company’s cloud so that they can be accessed via iPad, Android and Windows tablets or any Mac or PC.
Changing education
Research published earlier this year states that 6% of ‘pupil-facing’ computers in the UK will be tablets by the end of this year. However, as educational budgets are usually tight, procuring devices is a cost that schools need to watch and of course getting materials onto tablets often needs a little training for instructors to create something engaging for students. Not having to create a publishing platform for themselves means that teachers can also create their own content once they have the process down.
Yudu says that providing a device agnostic publishing service will help the process along. Many other publishing platforms mean that content can be locked into a particular device. Opening this up can mean more students are able to access educational materials from their own tablets or computers.
“Yudu Education solves the biggest challenge of the Bring-Your-Own-Device era for both publishers and students – cross-platform access,” said CEO Richard Stephenson. “Students may need to read and take notes on a Windows PC in the classroom, but then want to pick up where they left off on their iPad at home.“
Monetising Educational Texts
Content creators using the Yudu platform can also sell their materials direct to consumers, which helps to avoid syndication charges along the way.
The company’s pricing is based on the number of pages published rather than per-book sales. This will be a relief to creators of popular or required texts. There is also an annual maintenance fee for updated technology to make sure each OS upgrade is catered to.
Yudu says that the new platform is based on its established technology that has been used by top publishers including Weldon Owen, Random House and HarperCollins among others. Not a bad standard when it comes to publishing and hopefully one that might offer educators an alternative when trying to engage students in the classroom or beyond.
Image Credit: FailedImitator
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