The WEB Book experiments in electronic textbook design

This paper describes a series of three evaluations of electronic textbooks on the Web, which focused on assessing how appearance and design can affect users' sense of engagement and directness with the material. The EBONI Project's methodology for evaluating electronic textbooks is outlined and each experiment is described, together with an analysis of results. Finally, some recommendations for successful design are suggested, based on an analysis of all experimental data. These recommendations underline the main findings of the evaluations: that users want some features of paper books to be preserved in the electronic medium, while also preferring electronic text to be written in a scannable style

The Effect of eBook Reading on Overall Literacy Development

This study examined the effect of eBook reading, in contrast to traditional print reading, on developing overall literacy in lower elementary school students. It focused on student motivation, phoneme awareness, word recognition, and comprehension as they pertain to student achievement. This research study is important since it investigated a unique way to implement technology to assist both early and struggling readers. The study was designed to examine the effect of using an eBook application (Raz-Kids) instead of the traditional reading curriculum to engage the students through the interactive activities. The study involved 106 lower elementary school students in a private, Christian school with 96 students completing all assessments required for the quasi-experimental static-group comparison research design. This research study used the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey and the STAR Reading Enterprise assessment to evaluate student progress after incorporating the Raz-Kids application into their current reading program for a six-week period. A MANOVA was used to analyze all of the research data pertaining to motivation to read as it pertained to academic and recreational reading, phoneme awareness, word recognition, and student comprehension. The analysis indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference between the scores of students who participated in the treatment group and those in the control group. Data was collected through these assessments and analyzed using SPSS statistical software

Reflections on eportfolio professional learning: harnessing an unconference approach

This practitioner-led article documents the journey of a cross-institutional multidisciplinary team to support the development of practitioners’ ePortfolio professional competencies through an “Unconference.” We describe the approach used to support an ePortfolio unconference hosted in January 2018 at Dublin City University. According to Budd et al. (2015), the most meaningful professional learning at conferences tends to occur at the cofee breaks when delegates are free to engage in open dialogue. An unconference is a dynamic participant-driven conference which features discussion and collaboration at its core to support professional learning. This approach was chosen to capture, develop and document current ePortfolio practice in Ireland and the United Kingdom. This article outlines key facets of professional learning generated as a result of the unconference including the promotion of ePortfolio competencies and the generation of collaborative research outputs. At the unconference, attendees participated in experiential learning opportunities which enhanced and extended their personal and professional ePortfolio competencies as well as developed practice-focused research outputs collaboratively in real time using a range of technological tools. Participant feedback highlights the impact of the unconference on their professional ePortfolio learning and practice, and the critical refections of unconference organizers inform future ePortfolio professional development

Are e-readers suitable tools for scholarly work?

This paper aims to offer insights into the usability, acceptance and limitations of e-readers with regard to the specific requirements of scholarly text work. To fit into the academic workflow non-linear reading, bookmarking, commenting, extracting text or the integration of non-textual elements must be supported. A group of social science students were questioned about their experiences with electronic publications for study purposes. This same group executed several text-related tasks with the digitized material presented to them in two different file formats on four different e-readers. Their performances were subsequently evaluated by means of frequency analyses in detail. Findings - e-Publications have made advances in the academic world; however e-readers do not yet fit seamlessly into the established chain of scholarly text-processing focusing on how readers use material during and after reading. Our tests revealed major deficiencies in these techniques. With a small number of participants (n=26) qualitative insights can be obtained, not representative results. Further testing with participants from various disciplines and of varying academic status is required to arrive at more broadly applicable results. Practical implications - Our test results help to optimize file conversion routines for scholarly texts. We evaluated our data on the basis of descriptive statistics and abstained from any statistical significance test. The usability test of e-readers in a scientific context aligns with both studies on the prevalence of e-books in the sciences and technical test reports of portable reading devices. Still, it takes a distinctive angle in focusing on the characteristics and procedures of textual work in the social sciences and measures the usability of e-readers and file-features against these standards.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Online Information Revie

Serious Play, Serious Problems: issues with eBook applications

This paper is an investigation into the accessibility of emerging interactive, multi-touch narratives, which are designed and developed to be used on Apples iPad device. Universal access to technology culturally, physically, mentally and socially is vital to the ethical and moral sustainability of society. The importance of this is particularly vital to the development of a childs development of basic literacy, numeracy and reading skills, as technology becomes a predominant mode in their lives. Narratives designed and developed for the iPad device offer a multimodal, interactive environment of text, image, sound, animation and touch; yet they render the accessibility tools and functions, embedded within the iPad for users with disabilities, useless. Whilst some narratives counter this in a variety of ways in their design, there are still major areas where the concept of universal access for all is neglected, leaving a significant portion of users in the dar

Identifying eBook Pedagogies for Literacy Instruction: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Students in K-6 support becoming digital learners but many lack the digital skills needed to engage with ICTs such as eBooks. Some educators lack the technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) to adjust instruction and meet students’ needs. This study examined the extant body of research on the use of eBooks with K-6 literacy instruction to address the perceived lack of effective evidence based practices needed to build self-efficacy. The goal: identify effective TPK regarding when, how, and why to integrate eBooks with K-6 literacy instruction. The research questions: According to the extant literature, what types of K-6 literacy practices and engagements with eBooks are identified? What does the body of research recommend as the technological instructional pedagogies and knowledge needed by educators to meet the diverse needs of K-6 students as they engage with eBooks to develop digital literacy skills and competencies? The conceptual frameworks were the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) model. TPACK provided the rationale to develop a body of pedagogical knowledge. The TIM model provided the tools to identify when and how eBooks were integrated, the TPK educators need to build self-efficacy towards and value of eBook integration. Qualitative content analysis provided the rigor and structure to narrow the field of research, select relevant text for analysis, and identify why eBook integration is of value. The analysis reported eBooks have been integrated with the components of a balanced approach to literacy instruction and across a range of learning environments and levels of technology integration as defined by the TIM model. Three connected themes emerged: eBooks have a positive effect in building and sustaining reading motivation and engagement. This leads to literacy growth and development. The catalysts for much of these changes was the integrative tools and features embedded within the eBooks

Affordable Learning Solutions and Interactive Content in Engineering Mechanics

Digital Affordable Learning Solutions (ALS) provides students with quality yet affordable educational content and enables instructors to utilize multimedia and interactive technology as effective ways of delivering course material. The reduced course content expenses not only allow more students to access the educational material, but also permit the instructors to customize and adapt the material to their teaching style. Incorporation of interactive technology through visually appealing media such as animations, graphics, simulations, videos, and three-dimensional models promotes students\u27 interest in learning theoretical and abstract subjects in science and engineering. In this study, the incorporation of an interactive eBook as an affordable learning solution in Mechanics of Materials is discussed. Features offered in the eBook include responsive three-dimensional models, animations, lecture videos, course summaries, algorithmically generated problem sets, pop-up hints, and guided steps. Such an eBook provides various avenues for students to learn and practice concepts, and has yielded very encouraging results, including increased student performance and positive feedback from the students themselves. The presented interactive eBook has the potential to inspire other educators and course designers to develop and implement interactive tools in their pedagogical approach

Technology Reading Programs and Their Impact on Listening Comprehension

Abstract This qualitative study explores the impact technology reading programs have on second grade students’ listening comprehension as well as, their experiences with the programs. Student participants used three reading programs daily on an iPad to assess student listening comprehension through five question assessments. The three programs used in this study were RazKids, TumbleBooks and Bookflix. Data were collected for a 5-week period using observational notes, assessment results, from all three reading programs, and student interviews. Results suggest that student engaging student body language, specific program features and student preference of reading program impacted listening comprehension results. Additional research should be conducted to determine benefits of specific reading programs for student literacy learning. Key words: Listening comprehension, technology, RazKids, TumbleBooks, Bookflix, assessment

Design guidelines for more engaging electronic books: insights from a cooperative inquiry study

This paper presents the results of a cooperative inquiry study aimed at developing a prototype of enhanced eBook for leisure reading. Together with a group of 9 to 11 years old children we explored various design ideas and, starting from these ideas, we developed the eBook prototype and elaborated a shortlist of recommendations. The paper aims to extend the research on the design of children's eBooks with a set of six guidelines that are intended to help designers in creating better and more engaging eBooks

CAPD eBook: A multimedia approach for renal patients with adaptation of persuasive technology / Arifah Fasha Rosmani...[et al.]

CAPD eBook is a multimedia application that has been developed as a guide for renal patients on how to perform Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) in their daily life. The application has embraced multimedia elements such as text, animation, audio and graphic to ease renal patients in the learning process. This multimedia application is specifically designed to assist renal patients to learn and perform CAPD procedures as a way to remove toxin from their body. Additionally, the principle of Persuasive Technology has been adapted into CAPD eBook to increase effectiveness; this is to engage patients in using the application. Persuasive Technology is one of the techniques to persuade and encourage people in many aspects especially in the learning process. In order to evaluate the application, Usability and Heuristic Test have been conducted to assess the convenience and significance of Persuasive Technology Principles in CAPD eBook. The results have shown a significant impact and important benefits provided to renal patients