As if there weren’t sufficient providers with a “+” of their title, right here’s one other in your record: Pearson+, the wannabe Netflix for faculty textbooks.

Pearson not too long ago unveiled Pearson+, a desktop and cell app that may supply digital textbooks from the corporate’s catalogue by way of a two-tiered subscription mannequin. The $9.99 monthly single tier offers college students entry to at least one Pearson textbook, whereas the $14.99 multi-tier offers entry to greater than 1,500 textbooks. In a information launch, the corporate mentioned Pearson+ would supply college students the “most flexible and budget friendly” method to entry digital textbooks and research instruments. The app can be launched on U.S. campuses in the fall.

When you examine that supply to the costs for print textbooks on Pearson’s web site in the meanwhile—which embody a laboratory manual at $63.99 and an engineering textbook at $181.32, amongst a variety of different costs—that does sound like a cut price.

“Students are clear that they prefer the convenience and affordability of digital learning tools like Pearson+,” Pearson CEO Andy Bird mentioned within the launch. “With Pearson+ we are reimagining the learning experience for students and building direct relationships with them, which will allow us to continue to enhance the product with features they need and want.”

Bird added that the corporate desires college students to spend much less time fearful about shopping for their books and extra time having fun with their school expertise. In addition to digital textbooks, Pearson+ subscribers may even obtain a bundle of research instruments, together with audio variations of books, enhanced search options, pre-made and customizable flashcards, and the flexibility to vary the fonts and backgrounds of books, amongst others.

Now, whereas that every one sounds dandy, let’s bear in mind the important thing message right here: Pearson+ permits single or limitless entry to Pearson’s catalogue of books. That could also be very good, however because the Financial Times factors out, many college students are assigned textbooks from quite a lot of publishers.

It might additionally create one other drawback: pressuring professors to decide on textbooks which may not be the perfect ones for the category.

“Maybe the access agreement, or pressure from students with subscriptions, means faculty are compelled to go for a textbook which isn’t necessarily the best for the course,” Eddie Watson, affiliate vice president for curricular and pedagogical innovation on the Association of American Colleges and Universities, instructed the Times. “The risk is it precludes other options that might be more open and more affordable.”