Digital Textbooks

What is a Digital Textbook?

With more and more content becoming available digitally, students are coming to expect that they will be able to access their course materials through multiple devices. This expectation is beginning to extend to the course textbook as well.

At its simplest definition, a digital textbook is simply an electronic version of a textbook, and may be accessed by laptops, tablets, smartphones, and eReaders. However, there is great variability among digital textbooks. Some are exact replicas of the print textbook, while others offer basic features like highlighting and annotating. Some cutting-edge digital textbooks exhibit interactive features such as quizzes, simulations, and embedded multimedia.

Offering textbooks in a digital format allows students heightened access to anytime, anywhere reading through digital devices, and are often offered at a lower price than traditional textbooks. In addition, the accompanying features can support learning. Searching for keywords helps students quickly locate a relevant part of the book, while interactive quizzes guide students to check for understanding as they read. 

Choosing a Digital Textbook

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Instructional Strategies & Best Practices

Insert institutional examples of faculty adopting eTextbooks.

Before committing to a digital textbook, it is strongly recommended to obtain a copy of the digital book (often offered as a free trial) in order to thoroughly explore the features and reflect on the overall user experience. If possible, access the digital textbook through multiple devices.

Moving from a print textbook to a digital textbook will require that students make changes to their academic practices. The instructor’s role is crucial in supporting students to effectively use a digital textbook (deNoyelles & Chen, 2014; Donaldson et al., 2013; Grajek, 2013; Graydon, Urbach-Buholz, & Kohen, 2011). When an instructor actively uses the book, students tend to prefer the digital format than those with disengaged instructors (Dennis, 2011). Including the digital book information on the syllabus, providing instruction about how to use it effectively, identifying technical support services, and modelling it in class, are all ways to support students.

Optional Further Reading

The Mobile/eTextbook Initiative Flipboard Links to an external site. is a digital magazine created by Center for Distributed at UCF that gathers pertinent resources about mobile and eTextbook technologies.

The CDL Mobile/eTextbook Initiative Blog contains entries dedicated to the advancement of mobile learning and digital textbooks at UCF. Publications, presentations, faculty stories of practice, and other resources are included in the blog.

References

Dennis, A. (2011). e-Textbooks at Indiana University: A summary of two years of research [PDF document]. Retrieved from: http://etexts.iu.edu/files/eText%20Pilot%20Data%202010-2011.pdf Links to an external site.

deNoyelles, A., & Chen, B. (2014). Exploring students’ eTextbook practices in higher education. Journal of Information Fluency, 3(1), 37-50.

Donaldson, R., Opper, J., & Adkins, R. (2013). Use of digital textbooks and course materials (research report). Retrieved from: http://www.rdonaldson.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/2012-Digital-Course-Materials-Survey-Findings_03282013.pdf Links to an external site.

Grajek, S. (2013). Understanding what higher education needs from eTextbooks: An EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Pilot (research report), Louisville, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research, July 2013. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/understanding-what-higher-education-needs-e-textbooks-educauseinternet2-pilot Links to an external site.

Graydon, B., Urbach-Buholz, B., & Kohen, C. (2011). A study of four textbook distribution models. Educause Quarterly, 34(4). Retrieved from Links to an external site.

TOPKit Sample Course was prepared by the University of Central Florida (UCF). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License Links to an external site..