The future of digital textbooks: 3 reasons to switch
Remember the days of lugging around textbooks and supplies to each class? It's likely not that hard to remember because today's college students are still feeling the pain of these heavy, archaic schoolbooks. Even with advances in online learning, and lower technology costs for laptops and other digital tools, digital versions of textbooks have been slow to catch on.
That's all changing, according to a recent Pearson Foundation study that found, "Among the seven percent of students who own tablet devices like iPads®, 73 percent prefer digital textbooks" (Rachlin, 2011). Since a majority of students with tablet devices seem to prefer digital textbook alternatives — and about 4 million, or 20% of college students, will own a tablet by 2012 — it's worth taking a look at the benefits of digital textbooks (Coombs, 2011).
1. Size and weight
E-textbooks can be a convenient and more versatile alternative for college students wanting access to textbook content. According to a recent analysis by The New York Times, of the top tablets available to U.S. consumers, today's tablets weigh well under two pounds and feature screens as small as five inches, all the way up to 10.1 inches (2011).
Depending on the file size of each digital textbook and available storage on the tablet, an entire degree program worth of college textbooks could theoretically be condensed on a device that's roughly the size of one physical textbook. Add in the reduced need for pens and paper as a result of owning a tablet, and college students could be looking at a future where they need only one device in the classroom.
2. Go beyond pictures and text
Having every textbook in one device is not just easier to keep everything organized, it can also help redefine the way students learn. Content in textbooks is traditionally limited to text and images. However, digital textbooks are able to incorporate video, audio, quizzes and even note-sharing tools that allow students to study with one another directly within the digital textbook experience.
E-textbooks can also push real-time data to instructors on how students use the textbook. This data can include problematic quiz questions and whether the students read the assigned pages — giving instructors another metric to gauge whether students comprehend course material (Sheridan, 2010).
Unlike physical textbooks, digital textbooks don’t have problems with errors and outdated information. Publishers are able to update e-textbooks online, instead of having to print a new edition every time a change is needed, as with physical textbooks (Sheridan, 2010). This means digital textbooks can become living documents of knowledge, where students can have the most up-to-date information — at any time — within arms’ reach.
3. Potentially lower costs
Even though there are more benefits because of the added multimedia in digital textbooks, college students may still end up seeing cheaper costs when compared to traditional textbooks. According to an article in USA Today, "Printing and distribution of traditional books account for more than 20 percent of the cost of the book" (Coombs, 2011).
Currently, most multimedia-rich digital textbooks are in the $99 range, and individual chapters can be bought separately for as little as $2.99 (Sheridan, 2010 & Rachlin, 2011). These cost savings could be huge for students if an instructor happens to focus only on specific chapters instead of an entire textbook.
While it may take some time for digital textbooks to become available for every course, the tablet has opened the doors for mass adoption. Not only will this trend make course information more reliable and beneficial for instructors and students, it can also make studying, participating and testing a completely online and paperless experience.
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References
Coombs, B. (2011, June 17). Tablets make digital textbooks cool on campus. USA Today.
Rachlin, N. (2011, June 8). Digital textbooks slow to catch on. The New York Times.
Sheridan, B. (2010, September 12). Digital textbooks may revolutionize education. Newsweek.
Tablets, Compared - Interactive Feature. (2011). The New York Times.
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