Inkling Announces Launch of Its Digital Textbook Platform

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inkling(tm) today announced the launch of its platform for advanced learning content, with immediate availability of its iPad app. Inkling delivers engaging interactive textbooks that feature powerful social collaboration, integrated multimedia, and instant learner feedback. Inkling is available in the App Store (www.iTunes.com/appstore) and users can buy individual chapters or entire books at a discount to the print price.

“McGraw-Hill is focused on identifying and driving new ways to promote learner engagement and academic success, and Inkling allows us to offer more engaging, social learning experiences”

"Inkling uses multitouch interactivity to create engaging learning experiences," said Matt MacInnis, Founder and CEO of Inkling. "Rather than replicating a book on a screen, Inkling puts 3-D objects, video, quizzes, and even social interaction right at a student's fingertips inside the textbook."

Inkling's sync technology lets students collaborate in real time by sharing their notes and highlights with one another. Students can see comments from their friends and professors right alongside their own notes, making it easy to collaborate side-by-side or across campus.

Additionally, Inkling offers:

Integrated interactive media in every title, such as movies, 3-D objects, and guided tours
A simple and powerful user interface that makes it easy to skim readings or jump from place to place in the title, while always keeping track of your progress
Interactive formative assessment that helps students immediately gauge their level of understanding
An intuitive search engine that predicts your search as you type

"Inkling's intuitive search features alone make it hard to go back to a traditional textbook," said MacInnis.

Inkling announced content development partnerships with major publishers, including Cengage Learning, John Wiley & Sons, McGraw-Hill, and Wolters Kluwer. The partnerships are centered around joint development of interactive content.

"McGraw-Hill is focused on identifying and driving new ways to promote learner engagement and academic success, and Inkling allows us to offer more engaging, social learning experiences," said Vineet Madan, Vice President, Learning Ecosystems, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. "We're excited to be the first publisher to offer content through Inkling."

Inkling also announced pilot programs at Abilene Christian University, Seton Hill University, the University of Alabama, and with the Virginia Department of Education.

"We want to understand the role of devices like iPad in education, and Inkling has the potential to truly enrich student learning," said Dr. William Rankin, Director of Educational Innovation at Abilene Christian University. "Inkling's collaborative and interactive capabilities are compelling, and we think our faculty and students are going to love the experience."

"Participation in this pilot with Inkling fits well with Virginia's ongoing exploration of the potential for mobile technology to enhance teaching and learning," said Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright.

Inkling is a free download from the App Store, available today for iPad. An ever-growing list of interactive textbooks available for purchase right inside the app includes titles in psychology, marketing, biology, and economics from McGraw-Hill. Free previews are available for all titles, and prices start at $2.99 per chapter and $69.99 per book.

For more information about Inkling and to download the app, visit www.inkling.com.

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