Book selection behavior in the physical library: implications for ebook collections

Little is known about how readers select books, whether they be print books or ebooks. In this paper we present a study of how people select physical books from academic library shelves. We use the insights gained into book selection behavior to make suggestions for the design of ebook-based digital libraries in order to better facilitate book selection behavior

An exploration of ebook selection behavior in academic library collections

Academic libraries have offered ebooks for some time, however little is known about how readers interact with them while making relevance decisions. In this paper we seek to address that gap by analyzing ebook transaction logs for books in a university library

HEBE: Highly Engaging eBook Experiences

Despite more and more books are made available in electronic format and technology is increasingly present in children’s everyday life, thus far the potential of the electronic book (eBook) medium has been only partially exploited. With the Highly Engaging eBook Experiences (HEBE) project we studied how to design and evaluate eBooks for children with the goal of making the reading experience more engaging. The project began with an investigation of the many facets that characterize the reading experience of children in order to understand how it could possibly be enhanced by electronic books. In a later stage an intergenerational design team used different techniques of Cooperative Inquiry to explore a range of design ideas. Then, based on those ideas, we developed a prototype of enhanced eBook and elaborated a shortlist of design recommendations that are intended to help designers in creating more engaging eBooks. The research project ended with a stage of evaluation where children’s User Experience with the eBook prototype was assessed. We took inspiration from Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow theory to define a benchmark for evaluating the reading experience. Then, by means of the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), we investigated and collected data on the reading experience of two groups of children, one of which read an eBook enhanced following our design recommendations while the other read a basic version of the same eBook. Following a mixed-method approach, with quantitative analysis we verified whether participants who read the enhanced eBook had a better reading experience, while with qualitative analysis we tried to understand why. The results of the evaluation showed that that an eBook designed following our design recommendations may have a positive effect on children’s reading experience by making it more engaging

Designing for interactive eBooks: an evaluation of effective interaction elements in children’s eBooks

We live in a world where technology is woven into nearly every aspect of our lives. From the moment we wake, we are surrounded by technology. Technology is present in our homes, careers and schools, incorporating itself in our daily routines, entertainment and education. Due to the speed at which technology has evolved, little research has been completed regarding reading on interactive enhanced eBooks. For children learning to read in the modern world, eBooks provided on tablets are becoming a common occurrence. With this increase of eBook availability, it is of utmost importance that a better understanding is gained over eBooks for young readers. Currently, a categorization of the types of interactive enhanced eBooks does not exist, nor a thorough understanding of the interactions within them. This thesis suggests the necessity of categorizing the nature of children’s eBooks, and better understanding the varied interactive experiences within them. This research is imperative for graphic designers to have the proper knowledge to create eBooks that create an effective, engaging experience for readers. Never in history have educators; graphic designers and scholars had the opportunity to work together to create an enhanced learning experience. This thesis examines existing eBooks for early readers through a field survey and an observational case study of current eBook interactions

Using Technology and Multimodal Literacy to Actively Engage Struggling and Disengaged Readers

The purpose of this study is to investigate how using technology, specifically BookFlix by Scholastic Inc. and Capstone Interactive Library impacts the engagement of struggling and disengaged readers. Struggling readers are at a great risk for failure and dropping out of school; therefore, using other resources such as digital literacy can aid in supporting readers who struggle to decode words and have trouble with fluency and comprehension. School library resources can provide students with eBooks that engage and enable readers to read a variety of books. Data was gathered through parent and student surveys, observations, interviews and student response journals. Through exploration and exposure to different genres of eBooks students were actively engaged by reading eBooks that supported their fluency and comprehension, and gave students an opportunity to participate in cooperative learning. Students gained a better understanding of eBooks as well as digital literacy skills that will benefit them in accessing literacy through different 21st century modes

EBook Exploration: How EBooks Support Emergent Literacy

Abstract This research study explores how eBooks support young children’s emergent literacy development. Specifically, it focuses on what kinds and modes are available in eBooks for young children, how eBooks motivate or engage students to read and write and how they support students’ decoding and comprehension skills through a home-based qualitative active inquiry. This study took place during hour long tutoring sessions held twice per week with two elementary aged siblings in an Upstate New York middle class home. The collected data included informal and field notes, student artifacts, comprehension conversations, and student interviews. One student enjoyed reading the eBooks and was motivated by them while the other enjoyed reading paper books better and was not motivated by the eBooks. It was found that some features of eBooks support student’s decoding and comprehension, while some modes of eBooks did not. Pre-teaching of eReader features and previewing the eBook help student comprehend the stories. Student comprehension was aided by the narration features of the eReaders, however animations in TumbleBooks interfered with one student’s comprehension. Use of the Table of Contents and picture cues also contributed to their understanding of eBooks. Finding an eBook at Student One’s reading level was challenging. Both students lost track of the words on the page at times. Technological issues interfered with book reading several times. The Read to Me narration options helped both students with word decoding, especially the beginning reader. More research is needed on how eBooks support student’s decoding and on how beneficial the narration features on eBooks are to beginning readers

Digital Publishing in Ghana: A Focus on Children's Ebooks

Adopting a mixed methods approach consisting of interviews, focus group discussions and surveys, this thesis investigates the state of digital publishing in Ghana within the context of Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory. With a focus on children’s ebooks, it examines publishers’, authors’ and readers’ levels of adoption of ebooks, and their motivations for, perceptions of, and challenges or barriers to, going digital or otherwise. It also assesses the state of digital infrastructure and human resource capacity in Ghana to support the growing ebook sector, and identifies the knowledge and skills deficit in the industry in order to inform the development of courses that will be incorporated into the BA Publishing Studies programme at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). This thesis reveals that the level of adoption of ebook publishing among publishers and authors was relatively low given the interest demonstrated by young readers. The latter were very interested in ebooks and read mainly foreign content because it was freely available and accessible online. Publishers’ and authors’ motivations for publishing ebooks include visibility, the opportunity to reach a much wider audience, and the novelty of publishing digitally to keep abreast of current trends so as to transform the local industry. Some barriers to adoption identified were the cost associated with acquiring infrastructure, the security of online content, inadequate information about ebooks, non-use of ebooks, and infrastructural challenges such as inconsistent electricity supply and poor Internet penetration. The thesis also identified an awareness disconnect between publishers and their local readers: publishers perceive ebooks to be for the international market and, as such, do not focus on promoting them in the local market; thus, local readers are not aware of the existence of ebooks. Expanding on Rogers’ adoption categories, two new categories were created, incidental adopters and perceptual late adopters, to accommodate individuals who do not fall within Rogers’ established adopter categories. To increase the spread of digital publishing and the uptake of ebooks in the Ghanaian book market, the thesis recommends the elimination of the barriers to adoption and, most importantly, advocates training and skills development to reduce the knowledge and skills deficit gap among publishers and authors

Fostering Self-Advocacy in Primary School-Aged Children with Cerebral Palsy

Developing self-advocacy skills in individuals with disabilities promotes lifelong independence and disability awareness. Introducing and implementing opportunities to engage in self-advocacy at an early age allows children to understand their diagnosis, strengths, and needs. Early self-advocacy equips children to determine and request accommodations that may benefit them. Children with cerebral palsy often face challenges in communication, ambulation, and social participation, making the need for self-advocacy prominent in encouraging their success in the school setting. In implementing a tool built during school-based occupational therapy services, children with cerebral palsy learned to recognize and voice their academic and social needs while informing their educational support team of their stance on the services they receive. Though the drive to enhance student participation in IEP/ARD meetings is notable, the agenda is catered primarily to students preparing for post-secondary school transitions and life beyond the public-school system. With congenital conditions like cerebral palsy, the skills developed through self-advocacy training are used throughout the lifespan and warrant introduction much earlier in the child\u27s education journey. This project prompted self-advocacy skill development in elementary and middle school-aged children through an All About Me booklet and amplified the importance of active student participation throughout their educational experiences. Weekly meetings with participants encouraged sectioned knowledge intake, allowing each child to process the information they learned about themselves. Disseminating their booklet and including the child in the ARD process was an influential way of incorporating the child\u27s true perspectives into education planning agendas

Interactive storytelling: how picture book conventions inform multimedia book app narratives

Book applications (apps) have become an active element in children's publishing. Yet there are a lack of standards and design models within this arena. In this paper I analyse the ways in which book apps can draw on the conventions used in print picture books. I propose that through building closer ties between print and digital book formats, the evolutionary trajectory of digital literature may be strengthened. This inquiry involves investigating the use of multimedia, interactivity and playful design in print and digital children's books. I also highlight two key issues relating to digital interactive narratives: the relationship between interactivity and narrative flow, and the relationship between text and audio narration. This is with the view to assessing how picture book conventions can be used to extend the design of digital interactive stories, particularly book apps