EdBizWatch

Chegg Cuts Revenue Forecast

Co. will shift business to only etextbooks and other digital services by the end of 2016.

Chegg Cuts Revenue Forecast Due to Shift to e-textbook Model, Reuters

College Textbook Prices Have Risen 1,041% Since 1977

Bureau of Labor Statistics show textbook prices have risen over 3x inflation 1977-2015.

College Textbook Prices Have Risen 1,041% Since 1977, Ben Popken, NBC

Packback Raises $1.5 Million Led by Hyde Park Angels

Company's service provides daily and semester long eTextbook rentals for as little as $5.

Packback Raises $1.5 Million Led by Hyde Park Angels, Karis Hustad, ChicagoInno

​Inkling Systems Raises $15M for Digital Textbooks

Series D round included Sequoia, Felicis, General Atlantic, Kapor Capital, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson and Tenaya Capital, all existing shareholders. 

​Inkling Systems Raises $15M for Digital Textbooks, edSurge

Boundless Acquired by Valore

Boundless offers customizable textbooks. Valore originally began as SimpleTuition.

Online Publsihing StartupAcquired by Valore, Sara Castellanos, Boston Business Journal

Lumen Learning raises $2.5M Led by Oregon Angel Fund

Co helps students save on textbook costs by offering OER for popular college courses. 

Lumen Learning raises $2.5M Led by Oregon Angel Fund, Taylor Soper, GeekWire

How Common Core is Killing the Textbook

CCSS was supposed to make it easier to market texbooks to 40+ states that adopted them.

How Common Core is Killing the Textbook, Rachael Monahan, Quartz

OverDrive Bought for $410 Million by Rakuten

Rakuten's OverDrive deal comes a week after it's $530M funding round for Lyft.

E-Book firm OverDrive Bought for $410 Million by Rakuten, Teppei Kasai, Reuters

Barnes & Noble Invests in Flashnotes.com

Study-site will expand B&N college bookstore biz. Later this year will spin off an IPO.

Barnes & Noble Invests in Flashnotes.com, Chelsey Dulaney, Wall Street Journal 

The Death of Textbooks?

Software is reshaping teaching materials—but will take from the learning experience.

The Death of Textbooks? Terrance F. Ross, The Atlantic

Putting a Dent in College Costs With Open-Source Textbooks

College students could save an average of $128 a course with open source textbooks.

Putting a Dent in College Costs With Open-Source Textbooks, Ann Carrns, NYT

Chegg Is Shifting Its Services to Focus on Digital Push

Its practice of maintaining physical textbooks was becoming obsolete. 

Chegg Is Shifting Its Services to Focus on Digital Push, Micheale J. De La Merced, NYT 

Paper is Back: Why ‘Real’ Books Are on the Rebound

HP survey: 57% of college students preferred print; 21% preferred eTextbook.

Paper is Back: Why ‘Real’ Books are on the Rebound, Frank Catalano, GeekWire

RedShelf Raises $2M from National Assc of College Stores

Company's browser-based e-reader drives down textbook costs.

RedShelf Raises $2M from National Assc of College Stores, Others, ChicagoInno

Pearson’s Dominance of Textbook Market Under Examination

Renewal of a key contract in Texas will be a stern test for the education giant.

Pearson’s Dominance of Textbook Market is Under Examination, K. Rushton, Telegraph

Six Tools for Teachers

3 trends will improve the average quality of instruction in US schools within 5 years.

Six Tools for Teachers, Bill Gates, GatesNotes

OER and the Future of Knewton

When talking about OER it's important to distinguish between license & sustainability model.

OER and the Future of Knewton, Michael Feldstein, e-Literate

FreshGrade Raises $4.3M from NSVF, Others

Club Penguin founder's new co connects teachers, admins, students & parents with a social network tool similar to Yammer or Slack.

FreshGrade Raises $4.3M from NSVF, Others, Lora Kolodny, Wall Street Journal

Video Games and the Future of the Textbook

Textbooks give students the wrong impression about knowledge.

Video Games and the Future of the Textbook, Jordan Shapiro, Mind/Shift

Why Ed Tech Promoters Need to Get Textbook Adoption Policy

Long arm of textbook adoption shapes purchasing decisions in schools and districts.

The Revenge of the Textbook, CJ Libassi, EdCentral