e-­‐Textbooks  as  Learning  Tools:  Challenges  and  Affordances  

Elizabeth Dobler, Ph.D.Emporia State Universityedobler@emporia.edu

Continuum of Digital Interactivity

Walling, 2014

Kids & Family Reading Report™

5th Edition

Out of Print:Reimagining the K-12 Textbook in a Digital Age

www.setda.org

A BIT OF HISTORY

2007$Amazon$Kindle$

2010$Apple$iPad$

2014$1:1$ini5a5ves$at$20%$50%$college$students$read$e?textbook$$

❖ Student performance does not vary between print and e-textbook (Sheppard, Grace, & Koch, 2008; Woody, Daniel, & Baker, 2010).

❖ Various presentation modes do not affect comprehension (Margolin, Driscoll, Toland, & Kegler, 2013).

❖ Annotation features of an e-textbook enhances student performance (Dennis, 2011).

❖ People understand and remember better when reading paper (Liu, 2005; Mangen, Walgermo, & Bronnick, 2013).

Challenges and Affordances

❖ Lack of comfort with screen reading (Carlson, 2005).

❖ Requirement to access Internet when reading (Sheppard, Grace, & Koch, 2008).

❖ New types of engagement are facilitated(Dorn, 2007; Ravid, Kalman & Rafaeli, 2008).

❖ Promotes principles of universal design to meet diverse learning needs(Scott, McGuire & Foley, 2003).

❖ I could read Charlotte’s Web without any of my football teammates knowing it.

❖ I prefer to use printed books if I am reading for information. Even as I have gone through the courses for my master’s, I have opted for the more expensive paper copy of the book rather than the e-book. While I know that it’s possible to highlight, jot notes in the margins, use sticky notes to mark pages I found most useful, I want that book to place on a shelf so that I can reference the material again. With e-books I don’t focus as well on the material and find myself having to reread more than if I had the printed copy. Also, with the e-versions of texts, I am more likely to forget about the text if it’s in a compilation of other collected digital texts since I cannot see the book sitting there in the open to be used again. Therefore, I avoid digital copies of informational texts.

Scholastic, 2015

61% OF CHILDREN HAVE READ AN E-BOOK

65% of children will always want to

paper books even though e-books are

availableHewlett Packard, 2014

Reynolds, R. 2013

Interactive

Customizable

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Resources available in the public domain or shared under an

intellectual property license, permitting their free use or re-

purposing by others

Project Tomorrow, 2011

Students are empowered to “take responsibility for their own educational destinies and to explore

knowledge with unfettered curiosity thus creating a new generation of lifelong learners”.

QUALITY E-TEXTBOOKS

Comprehension❖ activating prior knowledge

❖ pronouncing words

❖ identifying important ideas

❖ predicting

❖ making inferences

❖ clarifying

❖ monitoring

❖ synthesizing

❖ connecting

❖ scrolling

❖ tapping

❖ clicking

❖ reading

❖ viewing

❖ listening

❖ hyperlinking

❖ interacting

Utilize Features

❖ searching ❖ highlighting❖ note taking❖ sharing❖ bookmarking

❖ What are the e-textbook preferences of undergraduate teacher education students?

❖ What are the perceptions of undergraduate teacher education students towards reading an e-textbook?

❖ How do undergraduate teacher education students view the role of an e-textbook in their learning process?

e-Textbook Purchase Factors

❖ cost❖ ease of use❖ ease of purchase❖ match to learning style

❖ Chulkov & VanAlstine, 2013

Self-Regulated Learning

Schunk & Zimmerman, 1998Zimmerman, 2002

Participants, Methods, Analysis❖ 56 preservice teachers (8 males, 48 females)

❖ language arts methods course

❖ e-textbook/paper bundle, read on iPad or website

❖ Features: note sharing highlighting keyword search video, audio and web links linked definitionstext bookmark

e-Textbook Preferences

Pre-Reading Post-Reading

22% preferred e-textbook 50% preferred e-textbook

58% preferred print textbook 42% preferred print textbook

20% no preference 8% no preference

❖ I did not like to read the e-textbook at first because I did not believe that it would be better than a paper textbook. When I started to read this book, I found that it was one of my most wonderful reading moments — I could access the different resources by clicking the websites. I could record notes very easily. I could use highlighters to mark the important ideas. It was useful and convenient. Now, I have begun reading digital articles online.

Digital Note Sharinga social network becomes a learning network

Reasons for e-Textbook Preference

Reasons for Print Textbook Preference

available search features familiarity with the format

digital notes features eyestrain with screen reading

lower cost distractions when reading online

light weight connection to physical movement of page turning

An  e-­‐textbook  can  often  lead  me  to  distraction  

(Facebook,  Pinterest,  etc.).  Also  there  is  something  

about  print  textbooks  that  puts  me  in  the  mindset  of  

‘study’.  

I  like  highlighting  and  putting  sticky  notes  in  my  

[print]  books.  When  done  electronically,  the  physical  

movement  is  absent  so  I  sometimes  feel  like  it  doesn’t  

help  me.  When  recalling  information,  it  is  easier  for  

me  to  remember  when  it’s  tied  to  a  physical  

movement.

Being Present in the Reading Moment

My  own  reading  habits  worsened  while  reading  this  e-­‐textbook.  I  am  used  to  skimming  on  the  computer.  I  carried  this  same  habit  to  the  e-­‐textbook.  It  was  more  difHicult  to  get  absorbed  in  reading.  

I  noticed  I  was  more  intrigued  about  reading  the  text.  It  wasn’t  like  I  was  just  sitting  with  a  book  in  my  hand.

I  was  more  relaxed  with  the  e-­‐textbook.  Sometimes  I  forgot  I  was  reading  a  textbook.  I  had  to  train  my  brain  to  think  critically  when  reading  because  usually  when  I’m  on  a  device  it’s  for  recreation.  

The  linked  deHinitions  are  extremely  helpful.  This  allows  for  reading  Hluency  as  I  don’t  have  to  access  another  source  or  turn  a  page  to  Hind  a  deHinition.  I  really  liked  the  search  function  because  it  took  you  right  to  where  you  needed  to  go.

Applying Reading Strategies to Digital Text

Opening  a  new  chapter  in  this  online  text  is  a  bit  more  intimidating  for  me  because  it  shows  the  list  of  sections  to  the  side,  and  there  are  sometimes  many.  I’ve  started  previewing  and  picture  walking  before  I  read  this  text  in  response.  

I  believe  my  reading  habits  improved  because  the  text  was  spread  out.  I  read  the  text  normally  but  I  went  back  and  looked  at  the  text  again  to  make  sure  I  didn’t  miss  something.

I  tended  to  open  up  links  so  I  was  easily  distracted.  As  a  reader,  next  time  I  would  be  stricter  on  myself  and  not  allow  myself  to  browse  on  other  sites  while  reading.

❖ avoid making assumptions

❖ teaching and modeling

❖ sharing personal experiences

❖ offering students choice

Teachers can promote e-textbook reading by . . .

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