The textbooks and academic books they need are often too expensive and printed on paper, rather than being freely available in real time in digital format.  As a result, learners increasingly rely on unverified sources for information, whilst good quality research paid for by the taxpayer, remains inaccessible to the vast majority of readers.  Even academics often don’t have access to research material which is behind paywalls or out of reach. Only scholars at top institutions who can pay exorbitant subscription prices to scholarly journals and can purchase expensive scholarly books are able to access all the resources they need.  It seems ironic that the Internet, which was designed by academics who wanted to develop a quick and easy way to transfer knowledge, is not yet the free vehicle of research results that its creators had envisaged.  The reality is that academic output is still controlled by traditional publishers which impose a high price tag to the research they bring out.  >> University education: maturing of the Mooc?  This system is trapping academic texts in the past and narrowing their influence on society exactly at the time when there is a widespread demand for free and high-quality university books and textbooks.  To get the most out of the benefits that technology can bring to education, the entire publishing system needs to be replaced by organisations able to provide high-quality educational material free for all to access.  The thinking behind making academic texts available online, otherwise known as Open Access, is crucial to the entire philosophy of learning.  Online materials have the ability to be published and made available significantly quicker than the notoriously slow traditional publishing cycle for printed texts.  Up to date research and data that online publishing can provide has the power to make learning more current and relevant to readers. The digital platform allows academics to create a more holistic and engaging learning experience with the inclusion of video, sound and live links.  Imagine a book on music where the pieces discussed are a click away, or a book on storytelling which incorporates the videos of the people actually recounting the stories, or a book describing the itinerary of a famous poet where the reader can follow in his footsteps through an interactive text and map, or a book on archaeology in which the artefacts are available to be printed in 3D – these are the academic books and textbooks that Open Book is producing – and making freely available to all worldwide.  I believe that the Open Access model is an exciting opportunity for authors, readers and academics to mutually benefit and bring access to education for all, no matter where they are from or where they are educated.  The demand for quality academic texts can be seen in the readers from no less than 148 countries that have so far accessed our books.  The fast developments in open education have further highlighted the importance of networks to share information and to implement innovation in learning provision.  My own experience of being introduced to the WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education) network as a WISE Awards finalist, has showed me the value of being part of a wider education community, sharing best practice and new ideas in global education.  Harnessing the power of technology, sharing information and providing solutions to the barriers currently limiting the readership of academic texts, can only be a positive development for global education.  Dr. Alessandra Tosi is Managing Director of Open Book Publishers and Life Fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge
The astronomic growth of cheap technology presents a huge opportunity for   learners worldwide and Open Access can tap into this, says Alessandra   Tosi