Embedding Digital Texts.

How can digital textbooks, e-learning and open course sites be used in education?

Two years ago, the Secretary of Education called for a switch to all digital textbooks in the next few years (E-School News, 2012). I think it will take quite a few more years for us to get there, but I believe it is the way of the future. When I worked for a computer company many years ago and they were talking about doing away with printed user manuals, I was incredulous. But here we are in the 21st century and computers do not come with manuals. The consumer must go online to access user guides. In my graduate program, I personally have used digital texts more often than printed textbooks, whenever it was possible. I prefer to use digital texts to highlight important points, just using the Kindle reader, and am able to go back and search for those highlights and bookmarks.

http://www.writerswrite.com/pics/apple_ibooks_textbooks_highlighting.jpg

Digital textbooks can offer many more resources, like in-text videos and even Augmented Reality which allows 3-dimensional interactive images of the subject matter, rather than just 2-dimensional photos. Digital texts can also be updated to add up to date information, something that cannot be done with paper textbooks. Using Apple's iBooks Author, teachers can create or add to existing texts. Apps like Subtext allow students and teachers to discuss books online, and highlighting passages and insert comments.  Other apps, such as VoiceDream Reader and Read2Go, help struggling readers and people with disabilities by converting text to speech, highlighting each word as it is spoken, and also may allow students to highlight and save passages for digital note-taking.  

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.berlin.reality.augmented.landscapar

E-learning comes in many forms. Using mobile apps to play educational games extends learning in math, spelling, social studies, and gives students a fun but educational way to enjoy learning. Note taking apps, like Notability and OneNote make note taking easier and more efficient. There are many educational sites that help learners to practice skills, such as Reading A-Z and Education.com. Use of social networking sites, including Edmodo, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Educlipper and Learnist, to name a few, allows teachers and students to share information and interact outside of classroom time, allowing for on-demand learning. Google Drive and wikis provide a tool for students to collaborate synchronously and asynchronously on projects and create products. Social bookmarking tools such as Diigo, Evernote, and Delicious can also be used to share resources with and between students.  Many sites, such as WriteAbout and Scratch include communities where kids can share create and learn from each other. As Fran Smith (2007) said, "Schools should reflect the world we live in today. And we live in a social world. We need to teach students how to be effective collaborators in that world." Although many teachers and administrators are wary of using social networking tools, many can be made private and moderated by the teacher while students are learning social media and digital citizenship skills. 

http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/

Open course sites, also known as MOOCs, provide a wealth of additional courses for free that teachers can use to enrich the school curriculum, flip the classroom or to supplement courses that may not be available locally.  They may also be used as transition courses, to help students decide on a future college major. Students learning from home can benefit from these courses, many of which award certificates of completion for each course. Free open lectures are offered by some of the most prestigious colleges, like Harvard, MIT and Stanford. Sites like Khan Academy and iTunesU offer free online courses. Khan Academy measures and documents students mastery levels and adjusts lessons to adapt to the student's level.  Another free open course site is ALISON, which stands for Advanced Learning Interactive Systems Online. ALISON provides a multitude of courses including vocational diploma and certificate courses free of charge, which can help lead to employment (Bornstein, 2012). Learners must pay a fee for a printed certificate or diploma, but they can also print their transcripts if they do not want to pay for the certificates.  Open Culture has a massive listing of free online course sites. 


Sources cited:

E-School News. Education chief wants textbooks to go digital.       http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/10/03/education-chief-wants-textbooks-to-go-digital/?

Borenstein, D. (2012). Open education for a global economy.              http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/open-education-for-a-global-economy/?_r=2

Khan Academy. Mastery levels. https://khanacademy.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203404054-What-do-Khan-Academy-s-mastery-levels-mean-

Smith, F. (2007). How to use social networking technology for learning.     http://www.edutopia.org/how-use-social-networking-technology

MIT Open Course Software. Highlights for highschool. http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/more/for-teachers/

Open Culture. (2014). 1100 Free online courses.  http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses