TES Launches New Resources Marketplace for Fast Growing Global Teaching Community

News provided by

TES Global

25 Feb, 2015, 08:00 GMT

LONDON, February 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

  • Major investment in technology platform enables 7m teachers to buy & sell content 
  • Scale of TES Resources platform underlines surging popularity in open resources  
  • Research shows that the resources are seen as a viable alternative to traditional teaching materials and textbooks 

TES Global, the global digital education business, today announced the launch of a new TES Resources online marketplace that will enable its growing global community of almost 7 million teachers to buy and sell content developed for the classroom.

Following feedback from teachers, a major investment in the platform and the technology behind it has resulted in a new cleaner design, better search features, preview functionality, and smoother uploading. Teachers will also now be able to charge for their resources from as little as £1 and take home 60p from every pound sold.

Charging for their content will allow teachers to be compensated for the time and effort that goes in to making high-quality content. They can also continue to share resources for free if they so choose. Almost 300 teachers have already uploaded 2,820 paid-for resources for launch.

Rob Grimshaw, COO of TES Global, said: "TES Global is fortunate to be the curator for an extraordinary global community of teachers and our investment in TES Resources will ensure that it remains a sustainable and much-loved library of content. The introduction of the marketplace is an important milestone in the development of the platform and will offer more choice and flexibility to all of our teachers."

The Resources platform itself is already the world's biggest teacher resource website with almost 7 million registered users, growing by an average of 22,000 every week. It has seen 560 million resources downloaded and regularly sees 1 million downloads every day. This scale and momentum underlines the surging popularity in open resources for the classroom.

Research by Stanford professors Eric Bettinger, Thomas Dee, and Daniel McFarland shows that open resources are becoming increasing disruptive to the traditional education market. TES Resources are seen as a viable and quality alternative to traditional teaching materials and textbooks with 86% believing that they produce better lessons than textbooks and 81% that they help teachers access new, innovative methods of teaching.* 

"Teachers report that they do more than merely download and review the available resources. They incorporate them directly into their classroom practice. Furthermore, teachers have strong agreement that the availability of these resources makes them more effective," said Professor Thomas Dee. "Teacher access to the open resources created by their peers comes at a propitious moment. Around the globe, we are asking teachers both to reinvent their practice around promoting 21st Century skills and to meet the differentiated learning needs of their students. Access to the resources created by their peers can provide critical support to teachers who are engaging these challenges."

Teacher Coreen Burt said: "Every weekend millions of teachers all over the world are studying their timetables and preparing for their classes. During a career at the chalkface, I saved countless hours by acquiring my own personal collection of mostly paid-for resources. These are proven and trusted resources designed by experienced teachers who have found them to work in the classroom. Teachers can save precious time and deliver better lessons at school."

* The Impact and Efficacy of TES Resources: Survey Results from the TES Satisfaction Survey. Eric Bettinger, Thomas Dee, and Daniel McFarland December 23, 2014 

About TES Global 

TES Global is a fast growing and global digital education company dedicated to supporting the world's teachers with a portfolio of tailored services. Our mission is to enable great teaching by helping educators find the best jobs, and providing all the tools and technology they need to excel. It is home to the world's largest online community of teachers, with 6.8 million registered users. For more information, visit http://www.tesglobal.com