Over the last decade, Top Hat has set out to disrupt higher education—and a big part of that strategy is transforming the traditional textbook industry. Today, we’re excited to announce that our mission has taken an important step forward with the acquisition of Fountainhead Press, a like-minded independent publisher established in 2002. 

The deal adds more than 500 titles to Top Hat’s roster of textbooks and represents a key milestone in reshaping higher learning. “In the same way Tesla reimagined what the driving experience can be, Top Hat is enabling educators in higher ed to transform the learning experience for students into one that is more engaging and motivating and that drives better outcomes,” said Top Hat CEO Mike Silagadze. 

Fountainhead Press textbooks, which are currently used at 400 universities throughout the United States, are being converted to interactive, digital titles that will be seamlessly integrated with Top Hat’s active learning platform. “When textbooks are brought to life with Top Hat’s intuitive and easy-to-use technology, they become much more than just the vehicle for educators to deliver information to their students,” adds Silagadze. “Instead, they enable a world where all students are fully equipped and motivated to engage with their learning and come to class prepared.”

Delivering rewarding learning experiences

Since its inception nearly 20 years ago, Fountainhead Press has been laser-focused on creating textbooks with professors and students in mind. A nimble, author-centered approach—combined with a publishing timeline half that of other publishers—means Fountainhead textbooks are able to represent emerging theories and pedagogies well ahead of the competition. Textbooks are customizable, created in collaboration with professors to provide content that matches up directly with their learning objectives. It’s a student-first approach that offers value and engagement at an affordable price.

More than 250 authors have worked with Fountainhead to create titles in disciplines like communication, composition, science, and psychology. All have benefitted from unparalleled editorial and design support to meet the goals of their program. In Top Hat, Fountainhead has found a like-minded partner. 

With the acquisition, individual professors will enjoy even greater customization opportunities to produce textbooks that align closely with the needs of their class, giving students relevant content that motivates them to learn asynchronously. What’s more, powered by the Top Hat platform, professors will now get insights into where students are succeeding and struggling, allowing them to intervene early. “We have witnessed firsthand Fountainhead Press’ unwavering  focus on delivering excellence for their customers,” said Silagadze. “As we come together as one team, I’m excited about combining our passion to support educators to deliver rewarding learning experiences, both during the pandemic and beyond.”

The best solution for your program or course

The Fountainhead Press deal marks the third publisher acquisition for Top Hat. Last year, it added to its catalog textbooks from bluedoor, a science publisher with 500 customizable labs and additional course materials, and Nelson, Canada’s largest publisher with titles used at 80 percent of the country’s universities. It’s all in the service of fundamentally improving the value of higher ed, with interactive textbooks powered by active learning technology.

Top Hat interactive textbooks support student comprehension by including engaging, media-rich learning materials, assessment questions and activities. The titles are fully customizable and professors can adjust content to suit the needs of their curriculum and learning objectives. They can add, move or delete sentences, paragraphs or even whole chapters to make the textbook their own. Plus, they get real-time insights into student understanding as they go through the textbook. Everything is housed in the same place as Top Hat’s all-in-one active learning platform, giving professors and students a single place to access their course and learning materials. 

Going forward, Fountainhead Press titles will boast the same features and tools as they are converted into interactive textbooks. It represents an exciting future where great content and technology come together to engage and motivate students. In fact, the following titles have already been enhanced for interactive delivery on the Top Hat platform:

It’s just the first step in giving educators even more ways to help students succeed in any modality. “This merging of our two companies makes content an integral part of Top Hat’s offerings,” says Scott Timian, co-founder and CEO of Fountainhead Press.” It will benefit our customers and authors with greater versatility and options for enhanced digital presentation. Our mission remains to provide the best solution for your program or course.”

Learn more about how you can adopt a Fountainhead Press textbook. Get in touch with one of our learning consultants or request a desk copy today.

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