Academic Perspectives on the Impact of Custom Publishing On Curriculum Construction

Abstract

Educators in the higher education marketplace recommend texts and digital resource suites for subjects they have designed. Within many higher education institutions this task has become complex. As the subjects are delivered to many cohorts of students dispersed sometimes across the globe, teaching teams rather than individuals conduct the classes. The external marketplace also demands upgrades to discipline and generic knowledge on a continuous basis, particularly in the Information Systems (IS) domain. It is therefore often hard to find traditional texts that reflect the chronological order of a proposed schedule for delivery of theory and concepts in a subject. Technology has enabled publishers to respond to these difficulties with custom publishing. Not only are linear solutions tailored to specific teaching and learning needs but tight alignment between learning objectives, activities and assessments are easier to construct for the academics. Technology has enabled publishers to open up their vast and rich library of content to provide fast construction of texts that are cheaper. The case discussed in this research-in-progress paper describes the impact of custom publishing on curriculum development for two subjects. The text in question, is ‘Working Communications’ a Business textbook designed for the Information Technology (IT) and end-user market. This paper describes the process used to align digital resources and the curriculum.