Top Features of Digital Textbooks

Digital textbooks have been rising in popularity in schools throughout the US. Though adoption has been slow compared to the adoption of ebooks wholly, students now have regular access to computers and personal learning devices, making e-textbooks more accessible than ever. Students are more ready now than before to adopt digital textbooks alongside their everyday usage of online learning platforms, thanks to the many unique features that improve their teaching value compared to the physical textbooks.

Accessibility on multiple devices

Many schools now provide computers to each student, however students may not be able to see their e-textbooks on a single device for a variety of other reasons. Students may complete necessary reading whenever they have time because they can view them from any gadget, even their smartphone. If students download and log in to app-based textbook systems, they can read textbooks from various devices. This functionality expands on the current benefit of being able to carry all of the books in a single device.

Coursework included

Many e-textbooks include more than the reference material, forming the basis for a course: they also include activities, prompts, and homework assignments based on each chapter. Teachers can rely more on the textbook rather than having to create and adapt assignments to fit each unit. The textbook can become the setup for the whole course, taking the burden off of teachers to develop their coursework.

Notes/annotations

With physical textbooks, students have to use sticky notes, bookmarks, and notebooks to record notes, but e-textbooks let you highlight words, sentences, or passages to add notes and annotations. This improves the learning process by not making students have to stop to record notes and also ensures they’ll always be able to reference their notes later rather than losing track of them or forgetting how the notes apply.

Dictionary

E-reading apps can offer access to dictionaries to instantly display the meaning of words that students might not understand while reading. Students will gain a greater understanding of assigned readings if they can check words that they are unsure about, boosting their vocabulary as well as their mastery of the subject matter.

Integration with Digital Education Platforms:

E-textbooks offer the ability to integrate their lessons with the school’s chosen learning platform or publicly available sites such as Khan Academy. With ready-made lessons, videos, and quizzes, teachers can assign readings and offer these features as supplementary material, or suggest students check them out if they feel they need additional review before tests based on the textbook.

Updating with new information

While physical textbooks are updated yearly, schools generally try to reuse existing textbooks, leading to some out-of-date information. Digital textbooks can update automatically to correct errors or stay current with the subject matter, such as new scientific discoveries or changes to a political map. They can also add new review questions and assignments to discourage students from finding answers online.

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Interactive elements

E-textbooks often offer access to interactive elements that younger students may be more receptive to, improving the learning experience. Students can play video and audio clips related to the subject matter, providing them additional context while breaking up the reading experience to help those with shorter attention spans. Publishers such as Pearson have even made it possible to embed videos created by the instructor in their class’s e-textbooks.

Adaptable to varying reading needs

Digital books can be read by users with different reading preferences and requirements. Readers can change the font size or style, change the amount of text on a page, or alter the color of the text and background to improve contrast. These features make textbooks more readable to students so they will be able to complete reading assignments quickly and easily.