Textbooks to Become Interactive
Houghton Mifflin and netLibrary have launched a digital textbook initiative to create electronic versions of Houghton Mifflin College Division texts. By the fall of 2001, electronic textbooks will be available on a Web-based learning platform called MetaText. Once transformed into MetaText editions, select titles will be available for review and adoption by instructors at colleges and universities throughout the country.
MetaText editions contain all essential components of a textbook, including words, photographs, charts and graphics. Rather than include arbitrary page breaks, MetaText editions organize text into conceptual units. The platform features a variety of tools to let instructors build online course syllabi, manage class rosters, annotate text, and make instantly viewable class announcements. Students using the program can search, navigate, annotate, highlight and bookmark their online texts. Each student has a unique home page to serve as a portal to all of their MetaText resources associated with the course, such as the syllabus, text, announcements, and additional reading materials. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA, (617) 351-5000, www.hmco.com.