Non-profit open textbook initiative OpenStax is aiming to use digital technology and algorithms to improve the reading experience for students.
Based at Rice University in Houston, OpenStax is working on textbooks that can adapt to the needs of their readers, and is developing them for students of all school ages, according to CNET.
"The same sort of algorithms that might predict which songs or books you'll like can be used to deliver a personalized experience to every child in a classroom," said Richard Baraniuk, founder of OpenStax and Victor E. Cameron Professor of Engineering at Rice.
The initiative has already provided free textbooks to hundreds of thousands of college students, and will spend $9 million on the new effort, Phys.org reported. Funding for the education project is coming from a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF).
OpenStax officials said the textbooks will use the same kind of technology used by Google, Amazon and Netflix for delivering personalized choices for searches and products.
"We can improve outcomes in a number of ways," Baraniuk said. "We can help teachers and administrators by tapping into metrics that they already collect- like which kind of homework and test questions a student tends to get correct or incorrect- as well as things that only the book would notice- like which examples a student clicks on, how long she stays on a particular illustration or which sections she goes back to reread."
The goal for the project is to help students learn at their own pace, CNET reported. The textbooks could provide additional exercises and lessons in areas a student is having trouble with, and as well as more efficient lessons for faster learners. Quizzes that cover material students have already learned would also be available.
"The technology is already here, in the sense that most of us use it online every day," said Daniel Williamson, managing director of OpenStax. "However, the full potential of this technology has yet to be realized for education. The project will allow us to demonstrate that this technology is effective and can be used in the classroom to improve both students' and teachers' return on effort."
The project also received praise from Kelli Rhee, director of venture development of the LJAF, who said it could provide a greater experience for both teachers and students, Phys.org reported.
"Teachers will have a powerful, new tool for customized instruction that will help students master subject material," Rhee said. "Progress will be tracked in real time and can be monitored from any location, giving teachers, parents, administrators and students greater insight into academic performance."
