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Digital Textbooks and e-Learning – an Australian Perspective

Jon Mason

International Conference on e-Learning and its FutureMarch 14th 2008 – Seoul, Korea

14 March 20081

Overview

• Digital content

• e-Book Definitions & the Future of Books

• e-Book Formats

• Marketplace visions

• e-learning context in Australia

• Issues

• Conclusions

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Digital Content

• Malleable• Re-usable• Re-purposed

For most people, this begins with “cut & paste”

• Limitless scope for “metadata”• Formal (DC, LOM, etc)• Informal (tag clouds)• XML schemas

• An increasing number of formats

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Modelling

Expeditionary innovation

Purpose-built e-learning platforms

learning

digital content

Structured

Un-structured

Many pathways to – & through – a digital learning experience!

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Definitions (1)

• An e-Book …• Complete or modified electronic version of a book?• Structural components (TOC, chapters, index, etc)?• Software only? Dedicated e-Book readers look at least as heavy

as a traditional book!• Electronic page-turning a feature of so-called interactive media• Some Adobe Acrobat files look & feel like e-Books!• “Bounded-ness” a defining characteristic

• A textbook …• A special kind of book – not a novel, thriller, or biography, etc!• Designed specifically to assist learning and teaching • Authoritative, structured guidance for a specific curriculum• Provides a quality-assured interpretation of a specific curriculum

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Definitions (2)

• A digital textbook or e-Book• A special kind of e-Book• Unique characteristics? e.g., adaptation to learning styles

• Varieties of digital textbook approaches• Publisher extensions & surrogates of printed textbooks• Technology vendors, marketing new capability & flexibility• Wiki-based textbooks (http://www.wikibooks.org/)• Sequenced learning materials presented within an LMS• Educational institutions presenting custom approaches• Focused research-based development e.g., Georg Eckert

Institute for International Textbook Research – aimed at identifying & diminishing cultural biases and prejudices in learning media (http://www.gei.de/)

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e-Book Formats

• ASCII – plain text

• CHM – Microsoft Compressed HTML Help

• EPUB – IDPF (OeBF)

• DAISY – Z39.86

• DNL – Desktop Author

• FB2 – FictionBook

• HTML• Libris (LBR) – cell phones

• LIT – Microsoft (with DRM)

• MOBI – MobiPocket

• OPF – open electronic book package format

• PalmDoc – Palm OS

• PDF – Adobe

• PKG – Apple

• Plucker – Palm OS

• TEI Lite – Text Encoding Initiative

• TomeRaider – portable devices

• XEB – Apabi (Chinese)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_e-book_formats

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Specialised e-Book Formats – e.g., DAISY

• DAISY – Digital Accessible Information SYstem• NISO Standard (Z39.86)• Digital Talking Books

• Accommodates tables of contents, indexes, footnotes, full text, and audio

• SMIL based – can also include video content, and has been used in some developing countries to distribute video information on AIDS and other health topics for example.

• Microsoft announced "Save as DAISY" plug-in in 2007

http://www.daisy.org/

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Future of the Book?

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Not Just the Future

• Project Gutenberg – 1000s of historical texts scanned

http://www.gutenberg.org/

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A Metaphor?

Consider the history of recorded music formats – in less than 100 years:

• Wax cylinder• Tape• Vinyl• Cassette Tape• CD• MIDI• MP3• …?

Are books poised to be likewise transformed?

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Future of the Book?

http://www.futureofthebook.org/

Blog-based Peer Review

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Future of the Textbook?

http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/treat/iartem/index.htm

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The Sunday Press

“THE looming age of digital classrooms is leading to the slow death of humble hard-copy

school textbooks.”Sunday Mail, 10th February, 2008

“Elliot Eden, 12, is part of a new generation of students turning from books to laptops”

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Future of the Book?

Sherman Young (2007) http://www.thebookisdead.com/

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Digital Textbook Futures?

EDUCAUSE Learning InitiativeHorizon Report 2008

- Identifies key tech trends … 1-5 years• Grassroots video• Collaboration webs• Data mashups• Mobile broadband• Collective Intelligence• Social Operating Systems

- e-Book readers important for portability

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD5320.pdf

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Digital Textbook Futures?

Turn The Page Report (2007)– Making College Textbooks More Affordable

http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/acsfa/turnthepage.pdf

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Marketplace Visions

• Launched in 2006• Aims to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the

worldwide K-12 market • Uses “an open-source, collaborative, and web-based

compilation model … an adaptive textbook” (the “FlexBook”)

• “CK12 intends to pioneer the generation and distribution of high quality educational web texts”

http://ck12.org/

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Marketplace Visions

http://www.ichapters.com/

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Marketplace Visions

http://www.pearsoned.com.au/

• Interactive and integrated media resources with the textbook to enhance the student learning experience

• “Connects the conceptual flow of a text with a dynamic array of online resources”

• Companion Websites • Self-assessment• Revision guides • Customized around specific topics• Instant feedback guide to further learning

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Marketplace Visions

http://www.pearsoned.com.au/

• Pearson Education service for university students• Digital surrogates of published textbooks

(functionally equivalent)• “WebBooks” marketed as a subscription service• Promoted as a means to save money on textbooks

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Marketplace Visions

http://safariu.oreilly.com/

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Marketplace Visions

http://www.coursesmart.com/

“Our mission is to improve teaching and learning by providing instructors and students better exposure and

access to digital course materials … in an eBook format”•Subscription based•Cost effective for teachers & students

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Marketplace Visions

http://www.meansbusiness.com/

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Australian Context

• Investment over the last 8-10 years focused on “learning object” pathway to interoperable e-learning

• The Learning Federation http://www.tlf.edu.au/

• Australian Flexible Learning Framework http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/

• University sector – repository infrastructure focus

• AICTEC – peak cross-sectoral advisory body http://www.aictec.edu.au/

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Context – The Role of ICT

• Forecasting Productivity Growth in AustraliaA recent Government report suggests that ICT will remain the main technological driver of productivity growth in Australia over the next 20 yearshttp://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/3783 1/Forecasting_Productivity_Growth_2004_to_2024.PDF

• New Government elected 2007 – major policy focused on Digital Education Revolution

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Australian Flexible Learning Framework Strategy 2008-11

A. Build on essentiale-learning infrastructure

B. Invest inbusiness–provider

partnerships

C. Invest inempowering

learners

E-learning an integral part ofthe national training system

•Business–provider partnerships•Industry–level change

•Increased demand from individuals for e-learning•A greater choice for learners•Increased participation by disadvantaged learners•Increased recognition of prior learning

•Access to learning and assessment resources•National e-learning resources•Standards for re-use of learning content•Managing learner information•New technologies to personalise learning•Access to e-learning knowledge

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ASISTM

• Australian Schools Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) project http://www.asistm.edu.au/

• Encouraging innovation in Australian schools • Promoting world class teaching and learning • Attracting & retaining teachers

• Community Partnerships Integrating Science, Technology and ICT program – 6 participating schools (e.g., Rostrevor College, South Australia)

• Includes use of an interactive textbook in co operation with Heinemann

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Newspaper Commentary

“Books Bound for a Digital Revolution”The Advertiser, 20th November, 2007

Dymocks Booksellers – Major Initiative educating the public

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Dymocks Booksellers

While Digital Books have been around for nearly a decade, Dymocks are now providing strong advocacy & also selling various hardware options

More Info

Download (3 formats):

- Microsoft

- Mobipocket

- Adobe

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e-Book Readers

http://www.dadirect.com.au/iLiad/

http://www.amazon.com/

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DNAML

• Desktop Author – eBook software developed in Australia• DNAML: DNA = Human ML= Mark up language • “Software made with humans in mind”• DNL is the 3 letter file extension

Demohttp://www.dnaml.com/presentation07/dnaml_pres.asp

• Choose – browser enabled or download

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Issues (1)

• Traditional publishing models are under immense pressure

• There are many channels through which learners will interact with digital content

• Digital textbooks via the Web not yet a “killer application”

• Next generation e-Book readers using ‘electronic ink’ provide some advantages (e.g., Sony Reader, Amazon Kindle)

• Minimises screen refresh• Saves power• Looks & reads like paper!

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Issues (2)

BUT…

• Digital textbooks are currently using a range of formats – there is no unifying approach to standardisation in this area

• Digital textbooks might provide an extensible & modular approach to learning but they also bring an implied “transmission” model of pedagogy

• Rights Management – still no clear consensus or approach

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Conclusions

• Digital content provides enormous scope for learning• Many packaging & presentation formats• Interoperability is challenging – many proprietary readers!• Wide debate about future of both books & e-books• Publishers not following SCORM model• No single approach appears to be a market winner• The digital textbook is not a replacement for the book

– and never will be

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Questions

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