Resources for Digital Text Books

*this post was originally drafted in October of 2010, but was not published for some reason*

Well folks the wave is hitting!  The discussions are increasing.  And I like it!  We are finally truely talking about digital content designed for learning.  Below are some examples of the digital content themes I’m hearing discussed: (of course, “digital textbooks” are the combination of what is possible with the traditional thought of the holder of knowledge – the book).  The concept is book = App … or Book = Game … or Book = Web … but designed and aggregated for the best instructional design.

When I say “digital text” … here is what I’m looking for:

• text
• pictures/ images/ graphics/ infographics
• video (media)
• audio (media)
• interactivity (i can do something to interact with the content to help me learn) – this may be a DGBL (a game of sorts) – this may be some element of social or collaborative networking – it may be a 3D model of some kind.
• updated regularly, automatically, and with out hassle

Here are several resources that were shared in a leadership meeting where the discussions of Digital Text (eBooks, iBooks, ePubs, etc…) expanded:

• http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
• http://www.gutenberg.org/
• http://www.digitalbookindex.org/about.htm
• http://oerconsortium.org/copyrighted-digital-textbooks/
• http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/
• http://www.sagemilk.com/index.php  –  (Free Apps that work with Flex Books from CK12)
• http://www.collegeopentextbooks.org/index.php
• textbookrevolution.org
• http://textbooksfree.org/
• http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page
• http://www.curriki.org/