An Interview with Neeru Khosla of CK-12 Digital Textbooks

Neeru Khosla

2.9.10 - Michael F. Shaughnessy - CK-12 Foundation provides free, standards-aligned, digital content for viewing and sharing online and print to K-12 teachers and their students in the U.S. and around the world.

An Interview with Neeru Khosla of CK-12 Digital Textbooks  

Michael F. Shaughnessy
Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, New Mexico

1)    Neeru, first of all, what is this CK-12 Foundation, how did it get started and what are you trying to accomplish?

CK-12 Foundation provides free, standards-aligned, digital content for viewing and sharing online and print to K-12 teachers and their students in the U.S. and around the world.  Murugan Pal and I founded CK-12 in 2007 with a mission to impact education by addressing learning content – especially textbooks.  Today’s textbooks represent a system of learning and knowledge transfer that is centuries old and has not kept pace with modern technologies.  The consequence is that traditional textbooks are often expensive, rigid and difficult to update. 

Too often these texts are out of date before they go to the book binder.  Given their expense, it may be five or more years before new textbooks are recommended and purchased by the school district. It leaves many K-12 students learning from outdated materials that cannot be customized or individualized, nor can they leverage modern multi-media materials.  Teachers want control of their teaching materials while meeting state standards of education. 

One text does not fit all but they have no way to customize and certainly no way to individualize. The textbook system has been imploding for years under the weight and costs of its own inefficiencies and we at CK-12 are responding to requests from students, teachers, parents, administrators and education leaders to address this problem.  

2)    What exactly would you say that you DO at CK-12?

We create FlexBooks – next generation textbooks and we facilitate the creation of customized FlexBooks by individual teachers.  Actually, since our inception, we have been doing two primary things:  1) we have developed an online software system for the creation of online materials for sharing on the web or printing; and 2) we have invested in some initial open-source, freely sharable textbooks (FlexBooks -- principally in the STEM <> curriculum areas).  We source these materials from a number of areas, hire domain and subject matter experts, address state standard requirements, and rely heavily on teacher-based review and contribution. With the system we’ve created, plus these initial FlexBook texts, teachers can enter the system, browse and review existing books and then: 1) use a whole FlexBook in its entirety as it is; 2) customize a FlexBook for their classes by selecting from existing chapters and content; 3) edit the FlexBooks by changing or adding to the existing content and 4) author original new chapters or an entire FlexBook. 

          As we have accomplished these capabilities, we are now 1) increasing our outreach activities to administrators and teachers and drawing awareness to this tremendous CK-12 resource; and 2) enhancing our content by creating a community of teachers and authors.

3)    Now how much training would a teacher need to " customize " a text book for a child, let's say with a learning disability in reading? 

Should a student have a reading disability, the teacher could determine what enhancement would best serve the child, for example, inserting more photos and images and using less text and/or modifying the reading level.   Then the teacher could easily either choose a book from our library or edit a FlexBook to incorporate these enhancements.  The teacher could start by “flexing” our existing standards-aligned texts, or creating original content.  The editing process is quite simple and requires minimal training – the average teacher could be proficient in a couple of hours for this level of editing.  We offer a tutorial right on our website which most teachers have reported to be all they need; and we have also received high marks on our customer support for teachers, who receive personal attention as needed. 

4)    What about a student that simply says to you, I like a book with a lot of pictures?

A FlexBook can literally be individualized to the student – it just requires a little more effort by the teacher.  But why stop with “a lot of pictures?”  Besides unlimited numbers of photos (assuming copyright permission) we can already embed YouTube clips in our FlexBooks, and we are working on increasing our multimedia and interactivity capabilities. 

5)    I have to tell you, I used to take Anatomy and Physiology, and that was a THICK book. But for some students, there is a certain pride in lugging that book to and from school. Your thoughts?

Today’s children are so tuned into technology and up-to-the-minute news and information that I think that children see a “cool” factor in having the most current, updated textbooks, in the most technologically advanced format.   This is what we’ve been hearing from the students using our FlexBooks sites.  There haven’t been any requests for big thick texts from students nor parents.

6)     I understand that you have a video on-line. What does this video try to do?

The video walks people through how to create a FlexBook.  Seeing and experiencing how simple the process is a big turning point in helping administrators and teachers see the value of FlexBooks.  We really encourage teachers to take a look at that demo as a first step to using FlexBooks.  We also have periodic (at least weekly) webinars where our former teacher goes through and demonstrates our FlexBook system and its capabilities.

7)    How is your work relevant to say, a state in fiscal trouble like California ?

Part of CK-12’s mission to reduce the cost of K-12 textbook materials is extremely relevant to California.  Just in the State of CA, $350M is, or has been, spent on textbooks in 2009-2010.  Gov. Schwarzenegger has seen where this line item could be re-appropriated and has initiated the free digital textbook initiative.  We participated in Phase 1 with seven books accepted and recommended as meeting state standards.  We are now participating in Phase II. 

But this fiscal issue is not isolated to California. Other states are taking up the cause of free digital textbooks, as well. Most every state and school district across the country is struggling with crippling budget reductions that negatively impact our schools.  All students, regardless of where they are from, should have access to high-quality educational materials.  The education of our youth is far too important to ignore and CK-12 wants to spread the word to administrators and teachers about the high-quality, online educational content that we are providing free of charge.

8)    Do you have a web site where people can learn about your foundation and get a list of the books that you currently have available? 

Yes, http://ck12.org

9) Any books on British literature  ( I just came back from London, and I know the Sherlock Holmes stuff is hot right now)?

          No, sorry, we’ve been focused on STEM content.  But, you know, you could be the first FlexBook author of British Literature!

10)  What have I neglected to ask?

          We are always asked about the quality of our FlexBooks. Teachers using FlexBooks now consider them equal to, or better, than the standard texts they’ve been using and all of their administrators want them considered in the next round of adoption discussions because of the huge costs savings. 

There is no question that we have the philosophical, financial, and quality commitment to see this endeavor succeed at providing a new model for quality digitally-enhanced learning.