Archive for the ‘eBooks’ Category

Secondary Students’ Perceptions of Open Science Textbooks

In an attempt to align instructional resources with new state standards and to increase teacher awareness of these standards, one large suburban public school district piloted the development and adoption of open secondary science textbooks. Open textbooks created by teachers in grades six through nine replaced conventional science textbooks provided by mainstream publishing companies. Therefore, […]

McGraw-Hill Education Launches Textbook and E-Book Rental Program

College students may be able to save as much as 70 percent off their textbooks through a new rental program from McGraw-Hill Education. Starting this spring, the company is offering rentals on more than 250 of its copyright 2019 titles, plus all future titles, through its e-commerce channel on the company website as well as […]

Print versus digital texts: understanding the experimental research and challenging the dichotomies

This article presents the results of a systematic critical review of interdisciplinary literature concerned with digital text (or e-text) uses in education and proposes recommendations for how e-texts can be implemented for impactful learning. A variety of e-texts can be found in the repertoire of educational resources accessible to students, and in the constantly changing […]

Creating Interactive E-Books through Learning by Design: The Impacts of Guided Peer-Feedback on Students’ Learning Achievements and Project Outcomes in Science Courses

With the rapid progress of technology, the popularity of tablet computers and the development of e-book applications have brought the use of e-books as a learning tool under the spotlight. In the meantime, the aim of school education lies not only in providing students with knowledge but also in encouraging them to construct knowledge actively. […]

Lever Press Sets Gears in Motion

Librarians have been talking excitedly about Lever Press, an open-access publisher for digital scholarship led by liberal arts colleges, for several years. While interest in the press remains high, progress has been slow. Early discussions about the project began around six years ago, and despite the press launching in January 2016, it has yet to […]

How do e-book readers enhance learning opportunities for distance work-based learners?

We report on the incorporation of e-book readers into the delivery of two distance-taught master’s programmes in Occupational Psychology (OP) and one in Education at the University of Leicester, UK. The programmes attract work-based practitioners in OP and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, respectively. Challenges in curriculum delivery included the need for more […]

Higher Education Faculty Perceptions of Open Textbook Adoption

The high cost of tuition and textbooks can have a negative impact on potential students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Open Educational Resources (OER) offers students a way to save educational costs while utilizing high-quality open textbooks. Up until now, there have been few studies focused on a specific provider of open textbooks. This study investigates […]

Measures of student success with textbook transformations: the Affordable Learning Georgia Initiative

In 2014, the state of Georgia’s budget supported a University System of Georgia (USG) initiative: Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG). The initiative was implemented via Textbook Transformation Grants, which provided grants to USG faculty, libraries and librarians, and institutions to “transform their use of textbooks and other learning materials into using lower cost options”, in other […]

Analysis of Student and Faculty Perceptions of Textbook Costs in Higher Education

The cost of textbooks has continued to impact students in higher education. Students have reported that they make decisions on which courses to take based on the specific cost of textbooks. Faculty have reported willingness to use open textbooks to help ease the burden on students but are unsure where to find viable options. We […]

Embracing e-textbooks: Yakima Valley-area colleges lag in replacing costly books with more affordable options

YAKIMA, Wash. — Much like news, music and banking, a digital transition has taken place inside college classrooms. With each passing year, more students and instructors have incorporated e-books, online documents and media into lectures and homework. The materials open up new ways, such as real-time note sharing or interactive content, to learn. They also […]