E-books
The new rage in education
What are E-books?
An E-book is an electronic representation of a book. E-books can come in a variety of formats including:
- "Open E-book"- An E-book model that can be read on desktop computers, laptops, palmtops, and other hand-held devices (Van Orden).
- "Instabooks"- An E-book model that is a digital copy of a book/text in the public domain, available to freely download, print, or circulate (Van Orden).
- "Extended Books"- An E-book model that has a disk or CD-ROM features that make it more than a printed text. Extended Books complement and extend published print (Van Orden).
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Power Point Books- An E-book model created and viewed using Power Point software.
From these types one can see that In their simplest form, E-books are books, like those found in libraries or bookstores, that individuals can download from vendor sites to leisurely read. More complex in form are the text and trade E-books that are used more and more in the education world. These E-books provide students with the opportunity to read stories and/or acquire information on new concepts, while also providing computer-scored comprehension quizzes and activities to measure students' understanding.
Aside from the variations in format, E-books also come with a variety of features including read-aloud options, a dictionary of words found in the text, and related activities.
Should E-books be used in the classroom?
The Pros and Cons of E-Books in an Education Setting
Pros |
Cons |
E-books are often less expensive to download than buying a print version. |
According to studies, readers have increased comprehension and accuracy when reading on paper than on a screen. |
| There is little chance for major wear and tear on E-books as compared to print books. | E-books require students to have access to a Internet-connectable PC, laptop, or handheld device, which can be pricey for a school system's budget. |
| Information-based E-books (text books) can be updated to keep information up to date. | Studies show that reading from a screen can increase fatigue more so than reading from a printed page. |
| By simply clicking on a word, students can hear the pronunciation, find its meaning, as well as access related resources. | Computer crashes or other technology issues can interfere with access to and use of E-books. |
| Many E-books contain video, picture, and sound clips that draw the reader in while also giving him/her a more vivid image of the story/concept being presented. | The E-books phase is still in its beginning stage, leading there to be limited numbers of textbooks and trade books available in this format when compared with its print counterpart. |
| E-books are appealing to children who find their interactivity to be like that of the video and computer game culture they were born into. |
From the chart above, one can see that E-books are a 50:50 gamble, though I would agree that they are worth a try. After all, maybe E-books are just what that struggling reader or child that cannot seem to connect with the material needs to jumpstart their confidence to read or their motivation for a topic. This is not to mention the fact that E-books can provide accurate information ensuring students are able to keep current on topics studied.
E-book Selection
A Few Things to Consider...
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What are the terms and prices of licensing for a particular E-book? (Terms and pricing vary from book to book.)
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What type of equipment is needed and affordable for the viewing of E-books?
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Are the information/stories in the E-books accurate and presentable for the student population who will be viewing them?
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Will students be able to access the E-books at school only or will the books be accessible to students for at-home use as well?
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Does the vendor allow for a trial viewing or trial period for E-book use? If so, what is that period?
Where can E-books be found?
Vendors and Sites
Vendor |
Type of E-book |
Price |
Contact Information |
**Tumblebooks |
Over 100 picture, young adult, multi-language books with comprehension quizzes for each book. | $399/yr.for access to the collection |
|
Internet Public Library |
Fiction and Non-Fiction picture and young adult books | Free |
|
Follett |
Fiction and Non-Fiction picture and young adult books | varies by book |
|
McGraw-Hill |
Textbooks
|
varies by book
|
|
Amazon |
Fiction and Non-Fiction books | varies by book |
**Of all the vendors I researched, I found Tumblebooks to be a personal favorite especially for the elementary crowd.
The selection of available titles included many well-known children and young adult books, unlike many of
the other sites I navigated. This collection of books was also easily downloadable from the Internet and viewable
on an Internet-ready computer both at school and home. It also provided comprehension-based quizzes as well as
"read-to-me" options.