Digital Books and the Changing Nature of Text and Reading

Elizabeth DoblerEmporia State University

ebook vs. digital book

deictic

Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, Castek, & Henry, 2013

Changing Nature of Reading

Text Factors

Reader Factors

Text Factors: Mobile Device Surpasses Laptop Purchases

Paczkowski,, 2013

Personalize the eBook Reading Experience – College Student Preferences

Font size 63% Highlight

84% Notes 57% Bookmarks 78% Dictionary 47% Search 31% Internet 8% Brightness 10% Larson, 2013

Reader Factors

53% - eBook supported reading comprehension

16% - eBook hindered reading comprehension

31% - eBook neither hindered nor supported reading comprehension

Common Core State Standards

CCSS recognize the need to prepare students for their future success by embedding rigorous standards and calling for literacy-learning through the use of technology.

46% of children have read an e-bookScholastic 2013 Kids & Family

Reading Report

81%reading on the Kindle supported their reading comprehension

Larson, 2013

81% prefer a Kindle

15% prefer regular print

4% no preference

Who are the Gatekeepers?

Garbage! Monster! Burp! by Tom Watson

Axel the Truck by J. D. Riley and Brandon Dorman

Higher Textbook Costs

Consumer Acceptance

Prevelance of Devices

48% of preservice teachers have read an ebook for pleasure

43% of preservice teachers have read a digital textbook

12% of users elected to purchase an additional paper copy

Lower cost of etextbook most important factor

Portability is a key factor

Internet2 Pilot Study, 2012

Available throughout academic career and beyond

Features, such as zoom, must be easy to access

Faculty, for the most part, did not use ebook features (note sharing, additional links, etc.)

Little benefit from collaboration capabilities because not utilized by faculty

Internet2 Pilot Study, 2012

Update and customize (Miller & Baker-Eveleth, 2010).

Promote new ways of engagement (Dorn, 2007).

Use of annotation features linked to student performance (Dennis, 2011).

Promote Universal Design principles (see Scott, McGuire, & Foley, 2003).

Lack of comfort (Carlson, 2005).

Encourage collaboration (Ravid, Kalman, & Rafaeli, 2008).

Access to computer/Internet (Shepperd, Grace, Koch, 2008).

No correlation to student performance (Woody, Daniel, Baker, 2010).

Offering multiple textbook formats has the potential for improving student learning.

Chulkov & VanAlstine, 2013

Participants

57 undergraduate preservice teacher candidates

Language Arts methods course Using a digital textbook Subgroup of 36 used digital book

coupledwith print text

91% read on laptop 16 % on iPad

Prereading Preferences

27% prefer digital

55% prefer print

18% no preference

Subgroup – digital and print access

PREREADING 22% prefer

digital

58% prefer print

20% no preference

POSTREADING 50% prefer

digital

42% prefer print

8% no preference

Text Factors: Favorite Features

Note sharing – learning network becomes social network

Sticky notes for marking spots Highlighter to follow along Adjustable font size for reading preferences Tabbed sections Definitions Search capabilities Review questions Videos

Reading Habits and Behaviors

DigitalElement

s

Reading Process

Participant Response

It was easier for me to find definitions and more convenient to look at suggested resources and podcasts. In a regular textbook I wouldn’t go out of my way to do these things.

Participant Response

Opening a new chapter in this online text is a bit more intimidating for me because it shows the list of sections to the side, and there are sometimes many. I’ve started previewing and picture walking before I read this text in response.

Participant Response

I noticed I was more intrigued about reading the text. It wasn’t like I was just sitting with a book in my hand.

Participant Response

I believe my reading habits improved because the text was spread out. I read the text normally but I went back and looked at the text again.

Questions for Future Research

Do the reading processes used with digital textbooks differ for skilled and less-skilled readers?

Which features of a digital text are most effective for promoting comprehension?

How can analytics of reader behaviors help us to create more effective textbooks?

Elizabeth Dobler

edobler@emporia.edu

10 Reasons to Use Digital Textbooks at http://www.edudemic.com/10-reasons-to-use-digital-textbooks/

Carlson, S. (2005, February 11). Online textbooks fail to make the grade. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Online-Textbooks-Fail-to-make/18496/

Chulkov D. V., & VanAlstine, J. (2013). College student choice among electronic and printed textbook options. Journal of Education for Business, 88, 216-222.

Dennis, A. (2011). E-Textbooks at Indiana University: A summary of two years of research. Indiana University Working Paper. Retrieved from http://etexts.iu.edu/files/eText Pilot Data 1010-1011.pdf

Dorn, R. (2007). Online versus hardcopy textbooks. Science, 315, 1220.

Internet2 eTextbook Spring 2012 Pilot at http://www.internet2.edu/netplus/econtent/docs/eText-Spring-2012-Pilot-Report.pdf

Larson, L. C. (2012/2013). It’s time to turn the digital page: Preservice teachers explore e-book reading. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(4), 280-290.

Leu, D. J., Kinzer, C. K., Coiro, J., Castek, J., & Henry, L. A. (2013). New literacies: A dual-level theory of the changing nature of literacy, instruction, and assessment. In, D.E. Alvermann, N. J. Unrau, R. B. Ruddell, Theoretical models and processes of reading (6th ed.), 1150-1181.

Miller, J., & Baker-Eveleth, L. (2010). Methods of use of an online economics textbook. American Journal of Business Education, 3(11), 39-43.

Paczkowski, J. (2013, January 9). Steve Jobs was right. All Things 3D. Retrieved from http://allthingsd.com/20130109/steve-jobs-was-right-tablets-are-cars-pcs-are-trucks/

Ravid, G., Kalman, Y., & Rafaeli, S. (2008). Wikibooks in higher education; Empowerment through online distributed collaboration. Computers in Human Behavior, 24, 1913-1928.

Scott, S., McGuire, J., & Foley, T. (2003). Universal design for instruction: A framework for anticipating and responding to disability and other diverse learning needs in the college classroom. Equity & Excellence in Education, 36, 40-49.

Sheppard, J., Grace, J., & Koch, E. (2008). Evaluating the electronic textbook: Is it time to dispense with the paper text? Teaching of Psychology, 35, 2-5.

Wood, W., Daniel, D., & Baker, C. (2010). E-books or textbooks: Students prefer textbooks. Computers & Education, 55, 945-948.