Michigan's Free, Online Textbooks Include Factual Errors, Poor Grammar

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Some who have reviewed the first batch of free, online textbooks commissioned under a Michigan Department of Education grant say they include factual inaccuracies, poor grammar, overgeneralizations, clumsy word choices and cultural insensitivity.

According to a report in the Detroit News, the first four books produced in the Michigan Open Book Project were written by Michigan social studies teachers and lack the editing and review used by traditional publishers.

Oakland Intermediate Schools in suburban Detroit warned teachers to avoid downloading the electronic books.

David A. Johnson, the electronic book project's director, says writers worked intensely and were asked to design materials "based on what they would want their dream resource to be." They worked with editors and he notes that mistakes can be quickly corrected.

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