I think that there is enormous untapped potential in colleges and universities. With the proper amount of funding, it would be possible to convince schools to force their students to contribute their collective knowledge to wikibooks/wikipedia as part of their classwork or homework. It would have to start out small, a few schools experimenting with the idea here and there. Students would have to login from a .edu address for accountability purposes in order to avoid plagarism/idiots. They would have to be distinct from the rest of the wiki community. Professors should also get involved somehow but I have not thought out their role yet.

It would also kill many birds with one stone. Students can contribute about subjects that are fresh in their mind as well as learn more about them as they write. They will also be able to write their own FREE textbooks that future students can use instead of paying ridiculous sums of money for the latest books. Just imagine the potential if we could get every school in the country (or the world) involved... Text books would constantly evolve over time. Schools can print out copies for students who prefer something physical at significantly reduced prices while they make a profit. It's a win-win situation for all (except publishers, poo on them)

Schools should create their own educational content instead of forcing students to fill publishers coffers. I believe that this would be the quickest and cheapest method for freeing educational textbooks.

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