Why E- Textbooks?

The article titled ‘How E- Textbooks, Online Modules could keep Journalism Education Current’ has described how textbooks can be replaced by the digital textbooks in this new digital age. Furthermore, the article also stated about the benefits of the digital textbook in this current phenomenon. In the article, she stated e- textbooks should be improved to fulfill the targeted public demand. E- textbooks help students save up a lot of cost compare with buying textbooks from bookstores. Moreover, e- textbooks should have the ability for students to take note, highlight texts, search key words and email passage to others, just like what commercial e- books can do. The concept of emergence of tablets will make the e- textbooks to be more sufficient where tablets allow updates and interactivity. With this idea, it makes e- textbooks more like software instead of online books. In short, interactivity and immediacy of e- textbooks are crucial in this generation.

In my opinion, students will prefer e- textbooks more than print textbooks when interactivity and immediacy is provided in it. According to Michael (2009), he stated with the use of e- textbooks, changes of information can be done immediately while print textbooks only allow to make changes when another version of books are out. Readers are allowed to get changed information faster than the print textbooks. Furthermore, interactivity is crucial in e- textbooks. Interactivity allows the students to communicate with each other in order to discuss about the information. According to Barack (2006), he stated students prefer learning tools that are more interactive. With the improvement of technology, the e- textbooks are overwhelming the print textbooks. According to Maynard and Cheyne (2005), they stated that e- textbooks would give a big impact to the academic sector. In short, with the use of digital textbooks, it is not only helps to save up cost of buying print textbooks; it also helps the students to get the latest information and to be more interactive in the learning environment.

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References:

Barack, L 2006, 'Touring the Digital Universe', School Library Journal, vol. 52, no. 2, p. 24, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 November 2011, http://web.ebscohost.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=71d69c7c-b89f-40c1-852e-bc45165d4162%40sessionmgr111&vid=2&hid=119

Capeloto, A 2011, How E-Textbooks, Online Modules could keep Journalism Education Current, PBS 25 August, viewed on 5 November 2011, http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/08/how-e-textbooks-online-modules-could-keep-journalism-education-current237.html

Michael, BF 2009, Schwarzenegger’s push for digital textbooks, The Christian Science Monitor 11 June, viewed on 5 November 2011, http://proquest.umi.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=11-12-2016&FMT=7&DID=1744888741&RQT=309

Maynard, S & Cheyne, E 2005, ‘Can electronic textbooks help children to learn?’, The Electronic Library, vol. 23, no. 1, pg.103-115, viewed on 5 November 2011, http://proquest.umi.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/pqdlink?vinst=PROD&fmt=3&startpage=-1&ver=1&clientid=14273&vname=PQD&RQT=309&did=828491721&exp=11-12-2016&scaling=FULL&ts=1321277865&vtype=PQD&rqt=309&TS=1321278381&clientId=14273