Is the Digitization of Learning Close to a Breakthrough Thanks to “bitmark”?
Based on bitmark, the open content-first e-book standard for interactive learning content, EdTech companies like the Swiss start-up Get More Brain are paving the way for the digital transformation of learning.
Self-driving cars, artificial organs from the 3D printer, Industry 4.0 — digitization is advancing rapidly.
Everywhere? Not quite. In education, paper and rigid timetables continue to be the measure of all things. This backfired during COVID-19 — unfortunately, distance learning today still poses significant challenges and quality losses.
In order to understand this digitization backlog and think about possible solutions, it’s worth taking a look at what learning should actually be like in the digital age and what conditions need to be created so that this transformation can pick up speed.
How learning should be in the digital age and what the prerequisites for it are
☕ = 📚👩🏫+📱🤖, 🙇🏼 +🙍🏾💁♂️🧕🏼 , 🏫 + 🚋️, 🙋🚀, 👶👴 🎓
Espresso, Grande Caramel Americano, “to go”, or lactose-free — coffee can be tailored to your taste. And that’s how it should be with learning, too.
- Books, pens, chalk, and digital learning can be freely combined
- Self-study, individual and class instruction, face-to-face and distance learning can be blended too
- Specific support from the teacher or coach just when it is needed
- Tailored help and feedback also from “smart books” and chatbots (use of artificial intelligence)
- Personalized learning paths, consistently up-to-date “live books”, adaptive, varied and lifelong learning…
1. Digitization of the entire treasure trove of knowledge
In order for School 4.0 to emerge in this sense, the entire treasure trove of knowledge, which is still largely “trapped” in paper books, must finally be digitized. As long as new digital concepts cannot rely on the same resources as traditional learning approaches, they will continue to be at a disadvantage.
Since not all learning content with the associated processes, methods, etc. can simply be “reinvented” from scratch for the digital world, solutions that enable existing teaching materials to be transferred “tel quel” to the digital world are essential. In a further step (e.g. as part of a later edition), this learning content can then still be optimized for its digital use.
2. Suitable learning platforms for the use of digital learning content
Digital textbooks alone do not make digital teaching. Of course, suitable learning apps, e-book readers, learning management systems (LMS), etc. are also needed in order to be able to work meaningfully and efficiently with the learning content. What “suitable” means, however, is very individual. Intuitive people learn differently than analytical people, skeptics differently than optimists, children differently than adults.
3. Device and platform neutrality
This means that the same learning content must be usable across different platforms and, of course, with all devices. The same textbook should thus be usable/editable in class with a tablet, in the train or while waiting for the next customer appointment on the cell phone, or at home with the desktop computer.
The best device for learning is the device you have (with you).
— Thomas Gabathuler, EdTech pioneer, freely adapted from Jay Maisel
What does this mean for educational publishers and EdTech companies?
The unholy coupling of content and platform must be overcome
Unfortunately, the reality is different. The digital textbooks available today are consistently and inseparably coupled with a specific platform. That means the book content can only be played out via a single learning app, typically provided by the publisher. In addition, because of their fixation on layout, the textbooks can sometimes only be used meaningfully with very specific devices (often tablets).
As a result, this means one app per publisher or even per textbook. Thus, instead of being able to concentrate on the learning content, students and teachers still have to deal with countless logins and different functionalities. The math tool awards 1-5 points, the English app three “smileys”, one app works on mobile, the other doesn’t, etc., etc.
So educational publishers need to work with software developers to find ways to overcome the unholy coupling of content and platform. As long as users are trapped in proprietary solutions (“lock-in”), digital learning content will not prevail in practice.
Only genuinely digitized textbooks are useful
Digital is not just digital. The decisive factor is structuring: In order for a digital textbook to be optimally machine-processed and displayed on all conceivable devices and screen sizes, its various structural elements and contents must be technically (i.e. invisible to users) tagged appropriately.
Example:
The left column includes the learning content with appropriate tags.
- [.cloze] = This is an exercise of the type “cloze” (gap text)
- [!] = The section “Solve this simple quiz” is an instruction
- [_first] = Instead of the word “first”, a gap should be represented + the word “first” is the solution to the gap
The right column shows the output after machine processing.
The apps should adapt to the people (not the other way around)
To ensure that digital learning content is actually used, suitable learning platforms — i.e., mobile apps, e-book readers, LMSs, etc. — are needed, as mentioned above, that meet the requirements and lifestyles of modern society: Individual, social, self-organized, immediate, efficient, adaptive, geared toward lifelong learning, etc. (see also the ☕️ analogy above).
But again, the reality is different: Most learning apps are only geared towards very specific devices/screen sizes. Instead of inspiring creativity, rigid specifications have to be adhered to, making individual learning preferences impossible. In addition, user management is costly and complicated, as is the administration of learning content.
Monetization is also crucial
A core problem is that both the digitization of textbooks and the development of suitable learning platforms are quite expensive. Naturally, the necessary investments are only made if there is a realistic chance that the expenditure can be recouped later through the sale of the digital learning content.
Whether money can be made with digital textbooks depends, of course, primarily on meeting the requirements outlined above (mobile readiness, suitable apps/LMS, platform independence, etc.). Simply put: If digital textbooks are useful, they will be bought.
However, copy protection is also crucial. If the learning content, such as PDFs, is not protected, it will be copied instead of purchased. What is needed, therefore, is a solution that also offers publishers protection against uncontrolled distribution of their learning content.
The solution is “bitmark” — the modern, open, content-first e-book standard for interactive learning content.
The common foundation for the genuine digitization of learning content, for the commercialization of this content, and for the emergence of suitable learning platforms without “lock-in” effects, is provided by the open e-book standard “bitmark” published in 2020:
- Content-first and mobile-first: Description of learning content and metadata (no visual information) for the purpose of use on all platforms and devices
- Interactive: Digitization of not only static, but also interactive learning content (currently bitmark includes about 30 exercise types)
- API-first: Use of the same learning content across all channels (mobile apps, tablet apps, web apps, LMS, CMS, … and even print)
- Monetization: Support for new business models (e.g. subscription models) and any number of distribution channels
- Ease of digitization: Simple, workflow-friendly and productive digitization even of existing learning content
I have already described the basics of bitmark in a separate article (see How the Content-First Standard “bitmark” Enables the Transformation and Democratization of Learning) and will therefore only go into more detail on certain points that are specifically relevant in the present context.
Lower costs, better quality and higher demand
The use of bitmark is free of charge for publishers and EdTech companies (open source). This eliminates the need to develop proprietary data formats. The freed-up resources can be used to improve learning content and learning platforms. In turn, as quality improves, demand for digital textbooks increases, making the digitization of learning content even more commercially viable.
From the publishers’ point of view, platform independence also reduces the risk of betting on the “wrong horse” and thus being stuck with the digitization costs; if a solution does not prove successful, the provider can simply be changed.
Copy protection thanks to “in app” format and convenience
As an “in app” format, bitmark offers systemic copy protection; unlike PDFs, for example, the learning content cannot simply be copied and passed on. Because convenience is lost outside the learning platforms — without appropriate learning apps/LMSs, learning content cannot be commented on, evaluated, shared with other users, exercises cannot be solved interactively online, etc. — there is also very effective intrinsic copy protection.
Breeding ground for the digital transformation of learning
Of course, bitmark itself does not yet bring about a digital transformation of learning. “School 4.0” must grow out of itself. But by creating the prerequisite for finally being able to digitize the treasure trove of knowledge that is still trapped in paper today and use it online in a suitable way, bitmark forms the breeding ground for better and faster completion of this transformation process.
Whether the use of a digital teaching aid in the classroom makes sense or not can hardly be judged in a generalized way. The context is crucial: What is the level of development? How much prior knowledge do the students have? What competencies are available? What does the target group bring with them? All these questions need to be considered. [quote translated from German]
Patrick Bettinger, Professor of Media Education, NZZ 4.3.2021
bitmark also helps publishers to digitize themselves
Thanks to the bitmark standard, publishers can also optimize their own internal processes and workflows, e.g. by using bitmark as the (sole) data basis for all outputs. In addition, for the first time, they have the opportunity to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of their learning content (which exercises work in practice, which do not, etc.).
EdTech companies and publishers already use the bitmark standard
Online shop and learning platform “Get More Brain”
More and more EdTech companies and publishers are turning to bitmark. The Swiss startup Get More Brain, for example, operates an online store for textbooks in bitmark format. The Get More Brain learning platform also provides a free e-book reader as well as a messenger (also free), which can be used to share, discuss and evaluate the learning content (e.g. exercises) personally or with a group — such as a school class. In addition, it is possible to easily create and manage your own learning content, which gives teachers the opportunity to work with customized exercises, for example, to supplement the textbook.
bitmark Marketplace — Shop as a Service for EdTech companies, multi-distribution channel for publishers
The “bitmark Marketplace” is a cloud-based shop system for learning content in bitmark format (Software as a Service, SaaS).
EdTech companies (and of course publishers who operate their own learning platforms) thus have the opportunity to implement their own online shops very easily. All they need is their own “frontend”; the time-consuming and expensive development of their own shop backend is no longer necessary — the technical operation of the store can be obtained entirely via bitmark Marketplace API.
From the point of view of publishers and other providers of learning content, this creates an opportunity to distribute their textbooks etc. “in one swoop” via several (or optionally all) learning apps, e-book readers, LMSs etc. connected to the bitmark Marketplace. Conversely, the resulting sales commissions represent an attractive additional source of income for the operators of these learning platforms.
Data imports are a thing of the past
This also makes manual data exports and data imports a thing of the past. All learning content accessible via the bitmark Marketplace API can be used automatically via all access-authorized learning apps, LMS, authoring tools, etc. and is always up-to-date.
The “bitmark Association”
The question posed at the beginning, whether the digitization of learning is close to a breakthrough thanks to the bitmark standard, depends on its dissemination. The sooner the level of awareness of bitmark increases (among publishers, EdTech companies, teachers/schools, etc.), the faster the transformation process.
The dissemination and further development of the bitmark standard is supported by the non-profit bitmark Association.
You too can help spread bitmark by becoming a member or patron of bitmark Association or sharing this article. Thank you very much 😊.
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