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EYE ON THE INDUSTRY
Future Trends Supplementals Should Watch
By Charlene Gaynor
CEO, The Association of Educational Publishers
For years, experts have predicted revolutionary changes in
education brought about by factors such as teacher retirement,
the No Child Left Behind Act, one-to-one computing, and digital
delivery of educational content. In many cases these changes
have already begun to take place, but in some instances, developments
have yet to be seen.
This article is the fourth in a series by AEP's Chief Executive
Officer, Charlene Gaynor outlining future trends that promise
to have the greatest impact on publishers of educational materials. In
this final installment, Gaynor examines future trends as they
pertain specifically to the publishing profession.
E-Commerce
In recent years, e-commerce has leveled
the playing field in the business world, making it much easier
for small- to mid-sized companies to compete. The ability to market, showcase, and sell products
online has been the key to rapid growth in many markets - educational
supplementals in particular. But this shift has brought about
significant changes in traditional business models, product development
processes, and the training and mentality of employees. Knowing
when - and if - it's appropriate to market a product online, and
the most effective way to do so is a process many publishers are
still perfecting. Companies already thinking in terms of
e-commerce will be a step ahead as this business model accounts
for bigger and bigger revenue percentages.
Purchasing decisions
Anyone involved in educational
publishing sales will tell you that the industry has historically
presented a unique paradox - the audience to which we're publishing
isn't necessarily the audience to which we're selling. However, over the past five to ten
years, purchasing decisions that were traditionally made by administrators
far removed from the classroom have been put back into the hands
of local districts and the actual end-users, teachers themselves. While
this shift in power can be attributed in part to NCLB mandates
that hold local districts more accountable for the progress of
their individual schools, the Internet has also played a role in
getting teachers more involved in the decision-making process. Tools
such as email, message boards, blogs, live chats, and webinars
have enabled publishers to communicate with teachers on a more
personal level and help them become more informed and empowered
consumers.
Open Sourcing
While the definition of "open sourcing" varies depending
upon whom you ask, what it generally means to publishers is a breakdown
of barriers. In an open source future, products would simply
be codes or digital files that consumers access on any type of
platform. Companies would no longer be judged by the technology
their content utilizes, but solely on the content itself. In
this respect, the open source model could be more conducive to
a marketplace of high-quality educational products.
However, the main issue that arises with open sourcing is copyright. In
some circles, open sourcing actually denotes not just greater accessibility
to information, software or programs, but free access
to such material. While this distinction is clarified in
the definition set forth by the Open Source Initiative, the fact
remains that rights management becomes much more difficult when
products move into digital format.
No Professional "Bench"
In the past,
the educational publishing industry commonly looked to the teaching
profession for potential writers, editors, and curriculum designers. In fact, I think you’d be hard-pressed
to find many companies that weren’t – at least in part
- founded by former teachers. But, as I discussed in part
two of this series, demographics are changing. Teachers are
no longer known for their longevity – in fact according to
a recent report from the Alliance for Excellent Education, nearly
half of all teachers who enter the field leave it within five years. These
individuals aren’t in the profession long enough to gain
the knowledge that a veteran teacher can bring to a publishing
house. This, in combination with the impending retirement
boom, severely shrinks the size of the industry’s hiring
pool.
With a smaller pool of candidates from which to choose, publishers
will have to look outside the normal parameters for hirees. These
candidates will likely require more training and professional development,
which - in the ever-quickening pace of the workplace - is almost
nonexistent as it is.
Many of the trends outlined in this series may seem tired or rehashed,
and the predictions may seem years or even decades away. But
there are a number of reasons why we as an industry need to be
thinking about them now more than ever.
* The demographic shift throughout the education workforce is
very real. Teacher retirement and turnover rates are dangerously
high and we know very little about the next generation of teachers.
* Federal interest in educational progress is at an all-time high
due to NCLB and the president's recently unveiled math and science
agenda.
* The technology that has been the impetus for much of this prognostication
has finally become more than just a vision; it is part of our everyday
lives and its effects that are further reaching than we could have
imagined.
For publishers, professionals, educators, business leaders and
policy makers alike, change is the one constant we can count on. Hopefully,
this trend report provides a few stepping stones on the footpath
to the future. The predictions, directions, challenges and
opportunities laid out here will guide AEP in its own strategic
mission to provide vital and valuable services to the educational
publishing industry. As always, we invite your feedback at
mail@aepweb.org.
Questions, ideas, or
in need of more information? Please contact Stacey
Pusey at 302-295-8349.
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