by Bruce Friend
The discussion around the use of digital textbooks (or etextbooks) has been one of great debate within the education community in the past year and will certainly continue to be a topic of interest in the years to come. The prospect of using digital textbooks instead of traditional hard-copy texts that all of us are familiar with provides many attractive features. Chief among these appealing factors for using digital textbooks is cost.
The expense of traditional texts and their replacement cost runs into the hundreds of millions dollars for many school districts. If comprehending how much texts cost on an individual level, just go speak to any current college student.
Another reason that digital texts have become popular is their portability. Not only can their use provide relief to backs of students who currently lug around extra weight in their backpacks; digital texts can be accessed through various electronic devices that make “anytime” learning more feasible for students. The use of digital textbooks fosters the use of technology in the teaching and learning process. With access to digital content, teachers and students can further maximize the investment that the schools (and their parents) have made in computers, handheld devices, and interactive whiteboards.
Last but not least is a value that digital textbooks can provide that traditional textbooks cannot – up to the minute content and information. As new discoveries in science occur or new events in history take place, digital texts can be updated almost immediately in some examples whereas including such information in traditional texts can take years.
With the advantages that etextbooks can bring, there are some challenges and limitations. As with any new technology and instructional resource, educators need time to become trained in how to effectively use digital content as part of their academic plans. All too often educators are not afforded adequate time learn new technologies and teaching practices. As a homeschool educator, I am sure that you too can appreciate the importance of both keeping up with technology advances in education and the challenge of finding the time to become proficient in their use. Often our students are the ones who can be our best teachers in this situation.
Another question to consider regarding the use of etextbooks centers on the whether the etextbook is providing information in a way that is truly interactive and engaging to students, or is the etextbook merely a digital facsimile of a hardcopy edition. At their best, digital textbooks should present information and provide assessments in a manner that goes beyond simply reading text on screen.
If you have questions about the use of digital curriculum and what options may be available to you, feel free to email me at: bruce.friend@sas.com
Bruce Friend is the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways®, an award-winning education resource that provides online lessons, engaging tools and activities at no cost to U.S. educators. Bruce has spent the past decade working in the field of online learning. He is a national pioneer in helping to establish the country’s first statewide online program and has been the chief administrator of two state virtual schools. In 2003 he was honored with the “Most Outstanding Achievement in Distance Education” award by the US Distance Learning Association. Prior to joining SAS, Bruce was the Vice President of the North American Council for Online Learning; a non-profit organization that provides support to students, parents, and online learning programs.
