Nature Education, the educational division of Nature Publishing Group, has announced the worldwide release of Principles of Biology, a $49 interactive university-level biology textbook. The pilot version of Principles of Biology was released in September 2011 to select customers, including California State University, who also partnered with Nature Publishing Group during the design and development phase.
Principles of Biology is a 'born digital' textbook, with all materials designed specifically for consumption by students via browsers on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Each of the 196 modules in the text is a self-contained learning experience, integrating text, images, interactives, and continual assessment, which feeds an automatic gradebook through which instructors can track student progress. Instructors can customise Principles of Biology to meet their curriculum by rearranging modules, turning sections within modules on and off, adding their own material, and integrating the textbook into their campus learning management system. In addition to accessing all materials online, students can download a Desktop Edition for use when not connected to the internet as well as printable versions of each module.
The textbook is available to institutions via two purchase models. With a one-time purchase of $49 individual students will gain lifetime access to the textbook. Alternatively, institutions can purchase a site license, giving access to all students on campus. Principles of Biology, intended to be the first in a series of interactive textbooks in the life and physical sciences, is considered a 'living edition,' in that the material will be continually updated by the editorial team to reflect changes in the state of scientific knowledge as well as user feedback.
Principles of Biology follows the successful launch by Nature Education in 2009 of Scitable, a collaborative online learning space for individual life science students now used in more than 180 countries.
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