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Utah Adopts Kinetic Books Digital Physics Textbooks As Primary Physics Texts
Published: Thu, 19 Jan 2006, 11:48 EDT
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By Aria C. Munro
Staff Writer, Publishers Newswire
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SEATTLE, WA (PUBLISHERS NEWSWIRE) -- The State of Utah has recently adopted all three levels of Kinetic Books' digital physics textbooks as primary physics textbooks. Now Utah high school students are able to use fully digital texts instead of printed textbooks to learn physics. These new textbooks from Kinetic Books are created from scratch for the new media, and take advantage of digital capabilities such as simulations, computer-guided homework and animated lectures.
"My students are motivated to be active, independent learners," said Douglas Hendricks, physics teacher at the Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science in Salt Lake City. "They have so much fun doing the labs I've assigned them that many students come in on their own during lunchtime to explore the other modules-the ones that I didn't assign them-without even asking for extra credit for doing so."
"Electronic resources have already replaced printed references, starting with Microsoft Encarta and now with the research capabilities of web engines like Google," said Kinetic Books' CEO Bruce Jacobsen. "The same transition will occur with textbooks in main subjects. Students and teachers tell us every day they prefer a digital physics textbook to a print one. They are more engaging and more efficient to use."
One high school student who used a Kinetic Books textbook remarked: "Beyond making physics enjoyable, the digital textbook made concepts a great deal simpler to understand without forfeiting meaning. My printed textbook, on the other hand, makes me feel like an ESL student in his first day of class."
In addition to covering all the material in printed texts and offering the benefits of interactivity, Kinetic Books digital textbooks cost less to purchase-relieving a major concern for many cash-strapped students, parents and schools. Pricing starts at $24.95, about one-third the cost of a printed textbook, and schools and universities can choose from multiple licensing models to fit their needs. "Digital distribution is much more cost efficient than printing and distributing traditional textbooks. We pass on these cost savings on to our customers," said Jacobsen.
Kinetic Books' software includes the usual text and homework problems, along with multiple opportunities for the students to self-assess. Hours of audio, hundreds of interactive Java simulations, and thousands of animations are designed to present physics concepts in ways that are approachable no matter what a student's learning style might be.
"Digital textbooks mirror the changes happening in education overall, where today's students have come to expect more than a lecture," continued Jacobsen. "Think of a paper textbook like a classroom where students sit quietly and passively in rows. Kinetic Books software is more like a classroom and lab rolled into one, filled with the energy of students interacting, experimenting, and applying concepts to situations they relate to from everyday life and the world around them."
Some states, like Utah, use a state-wide adoption process to approve and purchase physics textbooks. In other states, there is no state-wide process. The three Kinetic Books physics textbooks are currently in use at secondary schools and colleges in ten countries and 38 states.
About Kinetic Books
Kinetic Books Company creates digital curriculum. Experiment with Kinetic Books physics curriculum, or find out more about the company at http://www.kineticbooks.com.
WIRE SOURCE: Send2Press Newswire
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