Could this be the next iteration of the textbook? Take a look at this cross between a book and a feature length movie by Push Pop Press. Mike Matas, formerly with Apple and now Co-Founder and User Interface Designer for Push Pop Press, demonstrates how pages come to life on the iPad, iPhone and iPod. The interactive pages allow the reader to explore video clips, graphics, and tangential topics – in this case, best alternative energy sources in various geographies. And was that a bit of augmented reality that I detected with the windmill?
What do you think about this in the corporate learning space? Is this what the new user manual will look like? Is this part of a blended learning path? But the real test is whether you’ll download this first version of the book from iTunes. Click on http://pushpoppress.com/ourchoice/ to find the download button. Enjoy.
See you at ELCE – The Learning Technology Marketplace. Engage – Empower – Evolve.
Update: This came in Radana Dvorak. It was posted by one of her grad students in a forum discussion re: books/new technology:
About the author of this article
Joe DiDonato is the Editor-at-Large for the Elearning! Magazine Group. Joe's background includes senior learning positions, including CTLO, CEO and board-level assignments. Contact Information: jdidonato@2Elearning.com; (888) 201-2841 x846. To find out more about Joe, please click: Joe DiDonato's Full Biography. To follow on Twitter, please click: Twitter.com/jdidonato
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Joe,
Here are a few more examples of the future of print that I think you and your readers will like. They are great examples of the analog changing into the digital.
http://knowledgestarblog.wordpress.com/page/2/
http://knowledgestarblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/industrial-age-education-is-dead/
http://knowledgestarblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/the-ipad-for-learning/
Great article Joe. I would say that we are definitely heading in this direction, although I do not like every aspect of it. Who are the subject matter police? From whose perspective is the content created? How is the quality and accuracy of the content being validated?
So much of history is chronological in nature. I do not believe that providing the non-linear approach that they show in the article would be effective for history or math. For providing information by topic, might be a great approach as long as the information being displayed has been certified accurate. With so much information being derived from so many sources, it is difficult to determine what is fact and what is almost-fact or what is fiction. There would have to be close scrutiny on subject matter for adhering to the facts, and relevance to the topic.
On the other hand, we definitely have to expand our minds and capabilities to keep up with the rate of change, and this includes the manner that we learn. If we are going to live in the internet and post-internet era (whatever that may be), then we will need to provide learning systems for our youth that reside in those environments.
That is just one man's opinion.
My dissertation research involved embedding interactive content directly into an electronic textbook and the impact the embedding would have on student learning. In addition, the study determined if learners' understanding of the content was improved by embedding such an activity. I used a problem-based learning flash file that provided immediate feedback to the students. Students ranged in age from 19-49 majoring in allied health fields incluidng nursing, radiological technology, and medical assisting with 80% of the participants being female. There was no statistical difference in student learning from a hardcopy text with a CDROM exercise to an electronic text with the embeded activity. More than 70% said they would have no problems using electronic based textbooks.
Of course, there are some inherent problems; in particular the file size of textbooks with multiple files embedded. And from a pragmatic perspective, publishers will have to reconsider their business paradigm to create cohesive learning materials preferrably created by instructional designers and not just text written by SMEs. But the benefits obviously outweigh these issues since electronic textbooks offer multimedia cognitive and collaborative learning opportunties that can be seen as beneficial in managing cognitive load and attention in learning.
In my opinion, this new textbook may appear to be visually attractive for most users but when it comes to actual use, many more features become desirable which can make the e-book lot more powerful and useful. The e-Textbooks need not be just digitization of text and media but they must fully leverage the interactive features of the platform. They need to be designed to bring in transformation of learning and not just transfer of content to the tablets.
We have to recognize that 'active reading' is the central tenet of studying texts. Active reading is dramatically different than reading for pleasure. Active reading is essentially the integration of interacting with text with writing constructs such as annotating, highlighting, underlining, and coding. Reading for information often includes a myriad of active reading strategies. The strategies used are often based on the personal preference of learners, but none the less involve writing as as integral part of interacting with the text. The research is fairly conclusive that active reading strategies are not as efficient as working with printed text. The ability to effectively interact with text is much more cumbersome when working with e-readers and tablet computers. Hence, we continue to see low adoption rates by students for e--reader and tablet devices to support textbook reading and studying. Active reading requires an effortless interaction with the text, which has not been realized in a digital environment. Despite recent advances of tablet devices and annotating software, there is still a major efficiency gap in in the ability to annotate and interact with textbooks and other academic content. The Kindle studies from 5 colleges/universities were a seminal research effort, which included Princeton University. The research for iPads is emerging, but my most recent research was fairly conclusive that reading on the iPad is not equivalent to reading from printed text, although it was fairly close. The major sticking point was navigation between disparate parts of the text, and between texts. That is difficult to support with a single screen.
While screen size is important to lessen the text manipulation, the single most important factor to students was the ability to annotate and mark up text. Capacitive screens are not really designed for a stylus, and the use of the finger was not ideal for annotating and writing. We have more work to do to create a h/w platform that supports efficient interaction with text to create an experience that is efficient and equivalent to the effortless nature of writing on paper. That is the major challenge for h/w and s/w vendors. Right now, it is a compromise to read and study from electronic reading devices, although we are seeing progress. Let's not jump too soon based on technolust. Measure twice, cut once!
I have to agree with many of the previous comments. Initially, it is an intriguing idea but it is an idea that is fraught with many unanswered questions like:
1. How many people are comfortable reading onscreen content. (I am just now getting to the point, after many years of working online where I can read and edit material online with no paper-in-hand copy.
2. Who does control the content and verify accuracy? A wiki type solution is not the solution.
3. Do we have an adequate distribution streams and will that lower costs any more than traditional retail channels?
4. Will this encourage or discourage regular updates/corrections, will those be free?
I do believe that hybrid integrations of printed text and digital resources will continue to be the norm for the near future. Why?
1. Mobile apps/Mobile technology continues to advance at an astonishing pace.
2. Adoption of technology by current/future students will also continue to increase.
3. We are seeing major chinks in the protective walls of the traditional educational classroom the encourages collaboration and global education.
Hi Joe,
This kind of ebook is not only good way of interactive reading, it takes the learning experience to a new level.. And i am a firm believer that such books technology should not be for elite only.. infact education can spread faster using such content through simple tablet pc.. as of now the hardware pricing is very high but i think with volume it can come down to mobile prices .. New age pubishers should use such technologies and push for online content.. We know that learning cannot happen just by reading a text. to understand a concept it has to be seen as in reality and this content is exatly that.. I am proud to say that i am working in a company called Netex doing such similar content although market is responding with caution ..great to see a live example in action.. great article..Cheers
I received a private note from a peer about whether there were exercises or tests in this new textbook. The answer is probably not because of the audience for which it was designed.
However, that got me thinking about "prescriptive learning paths." Perhaps that's an area where this digital textbook can excel? I imagine if a wrong answer was chosen, the student could be directed to a learning snippet or an exercise anywhere on the internet if the person was online.
Perhaps if we think of it more as a cross between a textbook, a movie and interactive courseware we'll come up with other perspectives as well.
My initial comments made without reading all of the above ones were:
If this is coupled with other things which I have seen in another demo, like being able to select a word or phrase and get dictionary definitions, pronunciations, links to additional related info etc., and the ability to add your own annotations and links to other research material, then this has to be the way forward.
Build in interactive questions and exercises as used in eLearning programs and you get a step closer to the ultimate textbook.
Having now read all the comments it's interesting to note Mark Taormino highlights the need for annotation. I am sure that the way the iPad (&iPhone) and the Android based tablets handle annotation will improve as rapidly as the other interaction techniques once the designers and developers cotton on to the fact that it is necessary.
Joe, prescriptive learning paths are a good idea., but I would suggest that the material needing to be learned to achieve success in the assessments, should ideally be located within the textbook.
I agree with Kevin that designers will continue to focus on annotating and ways to effectively interact with text. Until such a time, using a tablet as a primary reading source will be insufficient to the needs of students. I might add that the other things such as the built in dictionary, thesaurus and links to other sources are all desirable functions, but are not high on the list of student wants. We have to meet the most basic tenets of how students study texts. Like the features of a car have little value if the car does not run, a similar construct is true with the ability to support active reading strategies. I often want to say to the vendors, it's the reading St---d. (don't want to call anyone names)
This is a well designed e-textbook “container” based on tablet technology (including a touch screen display + improved interactivity + Internet connectivity). But in my view any textbook has a second (and more important) part – the textbook content itself. Just presenting text, videos, animations and other multimedia objects on such interactive displays will not improve significantly the quality and efficiency of the learning process itself. In my view the “future” (e)textbooks should not only just present the content, but should guide and help the learner through the learning process. I name this kind of e-learning content “active” and I presented this concept in several conferences already (the last one held in Switzerland in March 2011 – http:// http://www.red-conference.ch). If you are interested, you can download a copy of my paper and presentation (a ZIP file) at http://www.4shared.com/file/RahH1PNu/TS_paper.html
Publishers are going to have a bit of a bumpy road ahead as they consider the right balance of content presentation, interactivity, options, learning supports, background knowledge support, digital coaching, multimedia usage, embedded social media and more.
The opportunities are vast but the creation of overly complex learning environments or simple content vessels presents many challenges. I did download "Our Choice" to my iPad and was distressed that the developers failed to provide content that could be read aloud by VoiceOver.
This is a non-starter for many individuals with print disabilities and it's so sad that when we finally have an opportunity to create accessible digital content usable by everyone, we don't.
GREAT REVIEW! I pretty much agree with all you said in your article, especially at the middle of your article. Thank you, this info is very valuable as always. Keep up the good work! You've got +1 more reader of your great blog:) Isabella S.
And onto paper computers - have a look at the new prototype.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/next-up-in-technology-paper-computers/?smid=tw-nytimestech&seid=auto
Is this when Generation Z's children will find paper books a museum item as our kids found LP's ? (15 years ago, my 3 year old found an old LP, and to his parents' horror, while asking what it is, tried to throw our perfectly preserved vinyl as a frisbee.)
That's terrific Radana, although I'd probably forget all of the bend combinations and accidentally place a call to a small village in another country! This makes me wonder how close we need to keep to the book paradigm in these new technologies.
However, with technology going the way it is, it wouldn't surprise me that you could encode a traditional textbook with digital elements, such as videos or QR codes. Turn the page and a new video or set of interactive fun appears - the digital version of a pop-up book.
A friend sent me another device that can read what's on a written page - the SmartPen from LiveScribe that you can buy in most electronic stores: http://www.livescribe.com. So I guess an iPhone, iPad or Droid could easily take the SmartPen concept to the next level with it's camera/image recognition.
I tend to agree with you Joe. I too find the concept of 'bending' to get through a set of file structures, a potentially difficult concept. (Though I consider myself a geeky dinosaur - the first program I wrote used punch cards and I love the keyboard and short cut keys).
I am not convinced that the book paradigm will stick around. Do we really need to 'turn pages' as Mike Matas demonstrated? If young children are using some form of electronic devices/computers as soon as they are toddlers, they would not understand this analogy - I can just see the confused look on their face when you mention 'turn the page'. This reminds me of teaching an older professor some 20 years ago, how to use a mouse. She was 70 at the time, and the first time she held it in her hand, she picked it up,looked at it, pointed it at the monitor and clicked; she then looked at me quizzically and said "it doesn't work".
Radana Dvorak said the following:
"This was posted by one of my grad students in a forum discussion re: books/new technology and digital natives vs digital immigrants.
Medieval helpdesk - funny:
http://youtu.be/pQHX-SjgQvQ "