In an effort to improve access, lower costs and increase adoption of e-textbooks, Twenty Million Minds Foundation has spent $1.5 million to tap noted scholars to author works. The e-books are available on chegg.com, touted as “Your Academic Hub” and is a repository of low-cost e-books and e-textbooks. Chegg also offers (paper) textbook rentals, a recent trend also aimed at lowering student costs. By comparison, a Physics textbook which lists for $234 can be rented for about $57.00 using the service.
The foundation’s goal is to save students money and provide high-quality e-textbooks from authoritative sources. Chegg will charge a small fee that has been characterized as “minuscule” (a few dollars per e-book).
Students can access most e-books on their computer. E-readers such as the Kindle, iPad and many Android tablets support many e-book formats. The PDF format is almost universally supported on popular devices. Some e-books that are free may be imported to Moodle as a resource. Check the book’s software license for specifics regarding duplication and republish rights.
To learn more, view the complete article at the Chronicle of Higher Education:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/free-textbook-group-will-sell-its-e-books-on-chegg-for-a-small-fee/41483
and chegg.com.