From Elements to The Diamond AgeThe past, present and future of textbooks

!Stuart Gannes

Maker Faire Rome October 4, 2014

Euclid’s Elements: 1,000 years in parchment!

Although many of the results in Elements originated with earlier mathematicians, one of Euclid's accomplishments was to present them in a single, logically coherent framework, making it easy to use and easy to reference, including a system of rigorous mathematical proofs that remains the basis of mathematics 23 centuries later.[16]

Print beginnings1482, Venice 1847, New York

Euclid's Elements has been referred to as the most successful[5][6] and influential[7] textbook ever written. Being first set in type in Venice in 1482, it is one of the very earliest mathematical works to be printed after the invention of the printing press and was estimated by Carl Benjamin Boyer to be second only to the Bible in the number of editions published,[7] with the number reaching well over one thousand.[8] For centuries, when the quadrivium was included in the curriculum of all university students, knowledge of at least part of Euclid's Elements was required of all students. Not until the 20th century, by which time its content was universally taught through other school textbooks, did it cease to be considered something all educated people had read.[9]

16th-20th Century: Rise of classrooms

Often called the industrialization of education. Classrooms, fixed seats and teachers

Researchers knew what was missing

• Interactivity

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Adaptability

• Feedback

John Dewey, learning by doing

20th Century experiments“Multimedia;” Filmstrips, TV programmed for education

Televisions on wheels

Computer labsThe purpose is to provide a microcomputer institutional-

related service to students while on campus. Huh?

The computer lab always seemed to be grafted on to schools. Ultimately the body rejected the transplant. https://student.uj.ac.za/docs/THE%20PURPOSE%20AND%20LOCATION%20OF%20GENERAL%20MICROCOMPUTER%20LABORATORIES.pdf

1987: A learning breakthrough “Before the Web did anything, Hypercard did everything.”

- Ars Technica

Groundbreaking achievement that showed how computers can improve learning.

The Diamond Age…“The Illustrated Primer is an extremely general an powerful system capable of more external self-reconfiguration than most. Remember that a fundamental part of its job is to respond to its environment. If the owner were to take up a pen and write on a blank page, this input would be thrown into the hopper along with everything else, so to speak.”

-Neal Stephenson , 1995

You became the main character. The lessons were addressed to you. They related to your actual experience. Used voice.

Online courses circa 1990s: Many busts

• Repurposed content

• Lack of interactivity

• Not collaborative

• No good creation tools

Researchers knew what was missing

• Interactivity

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Adaptability

• Feedback

21st Century learning skills

Purpose/value of education is to prepare people to function as adults in society. http://www.nhcs.net/technology/instructional/21stcenturyskills.htm !

1996: Online tutoringNet Tutor - Live help

Think of a gigantic live customer support service

2006: ’Flipped’ ClassroomKhan Academy

https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/core-finance/money-and-banking/bitcoin/v/bitcoin-what-is-it !Allows students to absorb “lecture” material on their own time. Devote class to collaborative exercises - no longer homework

2008: Adaptive LearningDynamic content presentation

Uses computer to rearrange content to suit learners’ progress !http://doraemonyoung.blogspot.it/ !https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LldxxVRj4FU

2012: MOOCSMassively Open Online Courses

Moved lectures online. Take advantage of global reach of World Wide Web. Mainly for Higher Ed. !http://www.wiredacademic.com/2013/02/infographic-rise-of-the-moocs/ !

2014: Software-enabled contentUse computers for what they are designed for

Allows course to run software in browser. A breakthrough in interactivity

Siri for text books? Textbooks with AI reasoning systems

SRI Project Inquire

SRI Inquire is part of an ongoing research project and is not yet available as a product. Inquire is funded by Vulcan Inc. and developed at SRI International. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-NDXWyDy3c#t=39

21st Century: Report Card• Era of experimentation

• Some progress

• Limits of online learning

Promising innovations:

Stay tuned! !

Stuart Gannes sgannes@gmail.com