A brief survey of the not-so-brief history of textbooks, from parchment to science fiction, from Euclid's Elements to Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age, with quick stops at Hypercard, Khan Academy, Knewton and Versal

1. From Elements to
The Diamond Age
The past, present and future of textbooks
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Stuart Gannes
Maker Faire Rome
October 4, 2014

2. 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]

3. Print beginnings
1482, 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]

4. 16th-20th Century:
Rise of classrooms
Often called the industrialization of education. Classrooms, fixed seats and teachers

5. Researchers knew what was missing
• Interactivity
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Adaptability
• Feedback
John Dewey, learning by doing

6. 20th Century experiments
“Multimedia;” Filmstrips, TV programmed for education
Televisions on wheels

7. Computer labs
The 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

8. 1987: A learning breakthrough
“Before the Web did anything, Hypercard did everything.”
- Ars Technica
Groundbreaking achievement that showed how computers can improve learning.

9. 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.

10. Online courses circa 1990s:
Many busts
• Repurposed content
• Lack of interactivity
• Not collaborative
• No good creation tools

11. Researchers knew what was missing
• Interactivity
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Adaptability
• Feedback

12. 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
!

13. 1996: Online tutoring
Net Tutor - Live help
Think of a gigantic live customer support service

14. 2006: ’Flipped’ Classroom
Khan 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

15. 2008: Adaptive Learning
Dynamic content presentation
Uses computer to rearrange content to suit learners’ progress
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http://doraemonyoung.blogspot.it/
!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LldxxVRj4FU

16. 2012: MOOCS
Massively 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/
!

17. 2014: Software-enabled content
Use computers for what they are designed for
Allows course to run software in browser. A breakthrough in interactivity

18. 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

19. 21st Century: Report Card
• Era of experimentation
• Some progress
• Limits of online learning
Promising innovations:

20. Stay tuned!
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Stuart Gannes
sgannes@gmail.com