eContent

is a more recently developed term, first used in the library and museum worlds to embody a broader vision of open content.

is not just a digitized collection of traditional content such as print, audio, or video.

is the sum total of the many forms and shapes in which the traditional forms of content are expressed in a profoundly networked world.

emerges from the interactivity within and among communities of interest/practice or affinity groups of like-minded individuals focused passionately on a single subject or activity.

is additionally a term that now refers to the digital fusion of the millennial students’ social media with the additional digital learning resources of multimedia, audio & video, print, digital learning objects, and digital learning enhancement solutions found either within their schools or society in general.

eContent is now readily available from a rapidly growing system of digitized libraries supported by state, federal, and private organizations. Examples include the National Science Digital Library sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Digital Library for Earth Science Education, and the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse Digital Library, the Open Content Alliance (OCA), and the Google Library Project. These libraries serve as repositories of large collections of free text, photos, multimedia, and data.