Abstract

This thesis surveyed K-12 educators to gauge their comfort level and awareness with online self-publishing services along with required skill sets, testing whether K-12 educators are taking advantage of online self-publishing within the classroom. If educators were to adopt online self-publishing to create material for the students, there is a potential new market for the Print-On-Demand industry. The experimental design involved the creation of an online survey taken by K-12 educators across the United States. The survey was used to gauge respondent comfort level with online self-publishing skills for personal and school use. Their opinions on collaboration with other educators to produce material for the students benefit were also addressed. The main findings of this research were that, 15% of respondents have had personal online self-publishing experience, 61% were aware of popular online self-publishing websites, and editing was viewed as the most helpful skill to have when producing self-published book online. With school use, 44% of respondents reported their school had a student publishing assignment with yearbooks being the most commonly published item in schools. Teacher use in the classroom revealed that 58% of respondents were interested in using self-publishing, 54% of respondents had already produced material for the students benefit. Moreover 90% believed that providing the students with a more targeted and customized learning experience was a main benefit of self-publishing. However, respondents did not understand how online self-publishing could save costs in textbook orders. If educators better understood there is a potential cost savings, it would generate a greater interest in pursuing some form of online self-publishing.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Self-publishing; Electronic publishing; Elementary school teaching--Aids and devices; Middle school teaching--Aids and devices; High school teaching--Aids and devices; Internet in education; On-demand printing

Publication Date

8-1-2009

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

School of Print Media (CIAS)

Advisor

Sorce, Patricia

Advisor/Committee Member

Pankow, David

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: Z285.5 .G374 2009

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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