Developing and disseminating learning resources
Topic: Publishing curriculum and learning materials
Case study: The textbook publishing project
Here is the publisher's brief to the lead author and editor of the sixth edition, Professor Q who has recently moved from Canada to take up a post in Australia:
- This Australian university textbook has always sold well since it was first published in 1980, but the current edition, edition 5, is now out of date.
- The sixth edition of this textbook requires a fresh new look, internationalisation of the content, the number of chapters halved, and much of the illustrative material reproduced in interactive multimedia format for a new companion web site.
- A brand new competitor textbook has entered the market in the last year, structured to reflect many new advances in the field, and providing CD-ROM enhancements to the printed book.
Choose one of the following roles:
- A The lead author of the first edition, now retired from teaching and research but still a member of national the curriculum review board for the field
- B The contributing author of two complete chapters in the second edition, now a close collaborator of F in a research project in the field
- C The graphic designer who produced the illustrations for the first edition, reused in all subsequent editions, that were inspired by the poster collection in this field that was once held at A's university library but has been disposed of since
- D The second author of the third edition, subsequently a student in A's university's degree program in this field, now the lead author of the competitor textbook
- E The publisher's editor who developed the detailed annotated table of contents that was introduced for the first time with the fifth edition and who recently worked as a consultant to develop a new curriculum in this field for a Canadian university
- F The invited author of a whole new chapter for the sixth edition to replace the work of B, who for many years was a tutor in B's teaching team
From the point of view of the role you have chosen:
- Outline your concerns about originality and plagiarism in relation to the work that has been done in previous editions and / or may be done on the sixth edition of this textbook
- Outline what you consider would be good practice by you and others, to fairly acknowledge the contributions that will underlie the new sixth edition of this textbook