Macmillan to allow professors to change textbooks online, on the fly

Macmillan, one of the largest textbook publishers in the world, is introducing a new software for instructors that will allow them to change the online versions of textbooks that their students use.

According to the New York Times, with DynamicBooks, "Professors will be able to reorganize or delete chapters; upload course syllabuses, notes, videos, pictures and graphs; and perhaps most notably, rewrite or delete individual paragraphs, equations or illustrations."

Dynamic indeed.

Used responsibly, it seems innocuous enough. A professor could delete a few paragraphs of excessive detail to shorten a reading assignment and allow students to focus on the more important points -- that is, the handful of students who actually do the assigned reading for their classes.