The days of idly reading textbooks may go the way of used textbooks post-final exams – out of students’ minds.

The Global Text Project gives students and professors around the globe the ability to actively add to textbooks and learning materials used in the first two years of university courses.

The launching project has a goal of creating a library of more than 1,000 electronic textbooks to be used in developing countries.

“I think that all of us have a desire to make the world a better place,” said Nancy Williams, academic director of social work.

The seeds of the project began at the University in 2004 with a class taught by Richard Watson, co-leader of the Global Text Project and a Terry College of Business professor.

“It was an accidental thing,” he said.

Watson wanted to “get rid of the massive waste in education” and said much of the work done by students is thrown out at the end of a semester.

“If you can unleash those creative resources, it’s amazing what you can come up with,” he said.

The Global Text Project wants to get academics engaged in a variety of ways by having students contribute exercises and examples, and allowing professors to write chapters or entire textbooks. The main goal is to make educational materials accessible to developing countries and engage the higher education community worldwide.

“I think that students could come up with examples that aren’t so out-dated,” said Rebecca Willard, a freshman from Atlanta.

Students questioned said the Global Text Project would help students understand and apply concepts.

“It would involve me more in the class and get me motivated,” said Ashley Hough, a junior from Savannah.

The Global Text Project is set up in a transnational model allowing countries throughout the world to contribute.

Watson said “textbooks that are global in their content give students a more global view.”

The Global Text Project has a Creative Commons license, allowing anyone to use material as long as it is attributed. This will make it easier for people to get access to textbooks, Watson said.

The Global Text Project has textbooks in business, agriculture, education and science with people contributing from all over the world. The textbooks include international concerns, such as sustainability, Watson said.

The textbooks use Wiki software – similar to Wikipedia – to update and contribute material, and the Internet helps distribute the textbooks to developing countries.