E-Textbooks and Ipad
E-Textbooks and Ipad
In a previous blog, I wrote about e-books vs. traditional books. I personally have been happy with using an Ipad to view books and texts. I guess I am not the only one. Cost is still going to be an issue though for many. Check out the following from an NPR.org article:
For a few years now, people have been expecting electronic textbooks to take off in a big way: They’re cheaper than traditional textbooks, easier to carry around in a backpack, and seem like a natural progression for students who have grown up playing and working with digital devices.
Despite all that, traditional textbooks have prevailed — until now. The game changer, according to Matt MacInnis, may be a little thing called the iPad.
MacInnis is the founder and CEO of Inkling, a company that designs textbook software for the iPad. He says the iPad has allowed for the reinvention of the textbook.
E-Books vs. Traditional Books
Ask Dr. Diane: Which do you like better . . . e-books or traditional books?
I am often asked about my preferences for e-books vs. the traditional book for use in the classroom setting. I teach for many different online universities. Some of these universities use e-books and others do not. Initially I was leery about using them because I am a page bender, a highlighter and basic destroyer of books, in order for me to get the most out of them. Technology has improved though and you can now do more to the e-book to mark things of interest. Also there is the option of printing out a few pages here and there if you really want a hard copy.
When I wrote the book The Online Student’s User Manual, I had no intention of offering it as an e-book. However, within weeks of its publication, one of the universities where I teach asked for it in that format so that they could make it required reading for all new students. Needless to say, I got over my reluctance quickly and made it available. I also made it available on Kindle: http://amzn.to/aCvMI1
Through time and experience using them, I realized that e-books are a great option for many students. A typical example is the student who attends a regular university and doesn’t want to lug a ton of books all over campus. However, my students are online students. Many may tend to have an ease with technology which is why they chose online learning in the first place. Some of my older students may have more of an issue with it than the younger ones. However, the portability and ability to read at work online or print things has made them accept the transition and appreciate it more.
Colleges to Offer More E-Books
Insidehighered reported today that Daytona State will be using e-books to save their students as much as 80% on supplies required for courses.
Other universities have been going that route for some time now. The University of Phoenix has had a lot of success with their e-book program. Insidehighered reported “Phoenix actually mandates that instructors assign digital materials “whenever feasible” — a strategic turn the company started to take back in 2003, but which has come to fruition more recently, with so many more materials now available in digital format. At this point, roughly 90 percent of Phoenix’s course content is delivered via e-books or other electronic means — the only exceptions coming in courses such as art history, where copyright issues surrounding digital renderings of images such as paintings remain a hurdle for e-book publishers, says David Bickford, the vice president of academic affairs at Phoenix.”
I work for several online universities that are utilizing e-books. In fact, I have made my most recent book, The Online Student’s User Manual, available to a university where it will be delivered in an e-book format. I have also made it available on Kindle because I believe that many do prefer to have quick access to resources like these rather than have to lug a bunch of books around with them.
Convenience of access is a big plus for e-books. Cost is also a very important consideration. Toccon.com claims, “The spiraling cost of textbooks is rendering higher education unaffordable to many students, particularly in community colleges, where textbook costs often exceed tuition. While some may think of a digital textbook merely an electronic image of a paper product, others have employed the electronic format in broadening the spectrum of learning. This session examines the emerging future of digital textbooks, including open access; subscriptions; texts bundled with online study resources; innovative texts that include multimedia, simulation models, automated assessments; and business models that will allow publishers to survive and thrive in the future.”
A recent ezine article gave 7 reasons why students should be offered e-books as a choice. To read that article, click here.