Last week, Apple turned heads by hosting an education-focused event at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The event was billed as an opportunity for Apple to introduce school and learning ventures, announce new plans, and indicate its desire to actively engage with the education community — and to do so largely through the iPad tablet. All people wanted to know, however, was one thing: what new products or services will the company announce?

Speculation ranged from digital textbooks to publishing software to new iPad applications. Normally, the rumors swirling around the next Apple announcement rarely turn out to be true (remember the anticipated launch of the iPhone 5 this autumn?) but this time they were spot on. In New York, Apple unveiled a new application for using digital textbooks on an iPad. It reintroduced and expanded the iBookstore resource. It launched a new publishing program, iBooks Author, and it enlarged the offerings and applications of iTunes U. In short, the company backed up its commitment to the education sector by fully embracing a variety of digital learning tools. If this investment proves fruitful, we may soon come to see Apple as more than simply a tech company best suited for buying a slick phone, conducting a reverse phone lookup, or picking out a high-performing laptop, even if they may not be working within open formats.

Here’s a quick rundown on the services and programs that Apple announced in New York:

iBooks 2 Application

The central unveiling of Apple’s education event, the iBooks 2 application is specifically designed for reading a textbook on the iPad. This is part of Apple’s initiative to make the cost of iPads more justifiable for universities and school districts. The application offers a range of features geared towards textbook reading, including among them a fast navigating interface, the ability to take notes, a variety of interactive study cards, and comprehensive lesson reviews.

iBookstore

The previously-announced iBookstore gained a new legitimacy at the education summit when Apple offered more specifics about its textbook content. Textbooks will be published digitally in the iBookstore in conjuction with publishing partners that include McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt –three companies that together control over 90% of the market – and all books will be priced under $15. This would reflect a steep and highly attractive discount over current texting costs.

iBooks Author

The iBooks Author program, initially only available for Mac users, will give individuals the ability to write and publish their own digital textbook. This means that teachers, textbook writers, and even parents could gain access to the textbook market, potentially spurring added competition and driving prices even lower.

iTunes U Expansion

Apple added several updates to its iTunes U program during the New York event. Chief among them is an attempt to transform iTunes U into a teaching tool. Teachers can now use the program to make, assemble, and present lesson plans.
All these new programs stand to alter not just Apple as a company but the education sector as a whole. If Apple’s efforts are successful, the textbook market will become far more competitive and digital, thereby resulting in lower costs and lighter backpacks – and, in the process, new modes of learning. Technology has already transformed the way our students are taught. Apple, with its recent event, looks to only continue and accelerate this trend.