Electronic textbooks (EOR)

Statistics of use

From teachers it is possible to judge interest in electronic educational modules according to the statistics on the website of FTsIOR. If in May, 2009 the project had about 11 thousand visitors, then in April, 2010 already 119 thousand. Schools downloaded 1.23 million EUMOV.

Players for use of EOR

Schools still can use e-textbooks only on the Windows platform. The program player for work with them under Linux got stuck at a stage of infinite testing in the state organizations. And none of officials can designate exact date of its emergence.

RMTs in 2008 received 80 million rubles on development of two versions of a player (under Windows and Linux) and other special software. Under the terms of the tender Windows version of a player it was developed in 2008-2009 and it can be downloaded from the website of FTsIOR long ago. The version for Linux still does not extend though its development had to end in August, 2009.

According to in RMTs, works on development of Linux player and its testing were completed and in October, 2009 it was transferred to the Ministry of Education and Science. Its next inspection was carried out by IT in progress in technical support of implementation of Open Source. "The company tested more than 23 thousand EOROV (all placed at that time on the FTsIOR portal), - Dmitry Komissarov, the CEO of PingWin Software says (enters into the IT group). - About 30% EOROV of first generation use technologies, specific to the Windows platform (for example, the libraries compiled for this Wednesday) and cannot be started in Linux without processing. Detailed data on testing were provided by us to FAO".

The Federal agency by training said that in December, 2009 the player working in open OS and another software was accepted department and it will be published on the website of FTsIOR. Again nobody designates exact date.

The managing director of the FTsIOR portal Informica institute to which finally Linux player got decided to hold also its testing (already the fourth). The associate director of institute Vladimir Starykh confirmed to CNews that development was really transferred it to the organization. "We test Linux player for a long time. The FAO constantly sends us new versions, - he says. - According to us the product requires significant completion. The main problems are connected with synchronization of a sound and the speech, a sound and animation if it is. Besides, problem with code charts. It in general is very important for UNIX-SYSTEMS. As developers EUMOV were different they, probably, not really paid attention to it. As a result one text can change in sizes five times, gets out for a framework. We wait for the latest version of a player which we will be able to publish with comments on compatibility".

During testing compatibility issues of Linux player developed by RMTs with the hardware were detected: "It works on one machine, on the second machine put where something differs on a payment, it already not so works, - tells the deputy director general of Informika. - We recommended to FAO to specify on what hardware platform the working capacity in a player of educational modules is guaranteed. We transferred results of testing in FAO".

At this Ministry of Education and Science refuses to undertake obligations for distribution of Linux player for electronic textbooks. As stated in the reply of department to the letter of the CEO of Armada company Igor Gorbatov, in the government contract the publication and distribution of a player for open OS is not planned, and only its development is provided.

As Alexey Novodvorsky considers, the deputy CEO of Alt Linux, uncertainty with terms of a release of the version of a player for the open operating system critically affects implementation of Open Source at schools. "EOR initially moved ahead under the slogan of multi-platform architecture, - he says. – For us development process of a player was closed, there was no information on how it moves. We hope that the Ministry of Education and Science will declare officially that the player under Linux maintaining all variety of EOR of new generation will be available in 2010. It will allow to refuse purchases of licenses for the foreign proprietary software for subject teachers". Totally more than 640 million rubles were spent for creation of infrastructure of electronic textbooks. The expert is sure that until the player for electronic training materials does not become up to the end cross-platform, all these costs actually work for promotion of the Windows platform.

"I hope that the player for Linux will be published in the nearest future and under the free license, - Novodvorsky says. - It is developed by public institution for the state needs and I do not see what could interfere with opening of the code for detailed testing and improvement by forces of community. At the same time it would allow to save considerably means of the state budget".

Oleg Sadov, the technical director of Linuks Ink agrees with this opinion: "I believe that the question of support in Linux of the electronic educational resources posted on the website by FTsIOR is rather important. Need of use for work with them of a specialized player which version exists only in Windows OS seriously limits possibilities of use of these educational resources in Linux OS. I think, at the same time the freedom of choice of optimal set of software platforms would be provided to schools for ensuring educational process. And so, it would do good to process of implementation of the free software at schools towards which course was unambiguously marked by the country leaders".

As of August 26, 2010 the player under Linux did not appear.

History

2018: Russia can permit to use far off library digital textbooks

In the Russian libraries the service of remote and non-paid providing electronic copies of scientific and educational literature can appear. The relevant bill was approved by experts of the working group on normative regulation at ANO Tsifrovaya ekonomika which meeting took place on June 27, 2018 on the platform of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

The bill is prepared by a theme group Intellectual property of competence center of digital economy. According to authors of the document, the possibility of free use of copies of works electronically is limited by law: they can be provided in temporary free use only in library or archive. At the same time many localities of Russia in which there is an Internet are deleted from large libraries.

The bill provides an equal opportunity of temporary non-paid access to to e-books, irrespective of the user's location, taking into account the interests of publishers and owners, including with protection against copying.

Number of copies of the works provided by libraries in temporary use does not increase — it is only about access improvement (including online) to the library stocks having scientific and educational value — follows from the explanatory note.

The bill answers the purpose of digital economy which assumes elimination of barriers at access to different services and opportunities. It is clear, that and, especially, settlements it is difficult to residents of towns to arrive to library of the megalopolis behind the interesting book therefore an opportunity to receive an electronic copy far off them, most likely, will be used. And, of course, such step will positively influence development of scientific and educational potential in regions — the head of the working group at ANO Tsifrovaya ekonomika, the vice president for corporate and legal issues of MTS Ruslan Ibragimov considers.

The approved bill will be sent for consideration in the Government of the Russian Federation.

2006

Within the FTP of development of education in 2006 a competition on creation of infrastructure of the Federal Center of Information and Education Resources (FCIER) was held. In the tender with the budget more than 165 million rubles, the Croc company was recognized by the winner. The platform became storage of electronic textbooks and software for their use at schools.

2008

In 2008 270 million rubles were selected for creation of textbooks (electronic educational resources, EOR) on different school disciplines. State "Republican Multimedia Center" (RMC) and structures of 1C became the main contractors. Later the state selected tens more of millions of rubles for creation different EOROV.

A competition on quality improvement of electronic textbooks for the amount of 80 million rubles which got to IBS was the same year held. In addition, the company undertook to hold testing EOROV regarding their compatibility with the Linux operating system and to make recommendations about development of a program player for work with e-textbooks in this free OS. EORY of new generation are electronic educational modules, EUM - were urged to provide to schools the choice of the platform, i.e. to give them the chance to avoid big purchase costs of the proprietary software. Mass use of computers at school is connected with teaching information science and other objects. It was assumed that administrative tasks in which the school usually uses 1-3 computers can be solved on the Windows platform. It was declared that the main cost reduction of schools would be possible due to transfer to Linux of educational process.

2010

In August, 2010 Dmitry Medvedev in the order to the government defined date of "large-scale implementation of electronic educational resources (EER)". These works should be finished till December 1, 2010. To the same date technical and methodical support of the teachers using such training materials should be organized. Presidential instructions are given according to the results of July council for development of information society.

"In the date I do not see anything impossible, but to judge precisely whether officials will be in time, it is difficult as the Ministry of Education does not disclose information on developments now, - the associate director of institute Vladimir Starykh says CNews. – For example, it is important that except educational modules there was a management system for educational process tracing how far the pupil and removing routine tasks from the teacher promoted. But whether such development is conducted now – I do not know".

Besides, according to Old, date of completion of works depends on how creation of educational and methodical maintenance will be financed, i.e. materials for teachers about how to use such electronic materials. But, besides, documents where such financing would be defined, he still did not see.