Milton May MAT6324 Module 4 Hands-on An Introduction to E-Books
E-textbooks and e-readers basically go hand-in-hand. Nancy Foasberg, in her article “Adoption of E-Book Readers among College Students: A Survey” in the journal Information Technology and Libraries states that the first generation of e-readers first appeared on the market in the late 1990’s. They were an abject failure. However, just four years ago, sales exploded by 80 percent. Dr. Mark Nelson defined e-texts at “an electronic book that can be read digitally on a computer screen, [an e-reader], a personal digital assistant (PDA), or even a mobile phone. In other words, e-books are consumed on a screen rather than on paper.” However, the distinction is more than just the electronic version of a book. The fact that an e-book or e-text is electronic opens an entire world of possibilities that publishers can (but often do not) take advantage of. E-books are a great option overall for college courses, because they allow students to get their hands on required texts without having to wait for the mail, or visit the bookstore. Back when I first started college in the early nineties, the first few weeks of the semester were always fraught with standing in long, interminable lines. There were lines to register for classes, lines to purchase books, and lines to return the books that were purchased as the professor changed the required texts at the last minute. That meant a lot of time spent just standing around. Today, using the Kindle app on my smartphone, tablet, and laptop, I can purchase a text online, then have that text instantly available on all by devices. As for the text for this class (MAT6324), I really like that the table of contents contains links directly to the first page of each chapter. Not every Kindle title offers that simple feature. Also, for all the topics discussed, the author includes links to the vendor sites (great for building my PLN); and exemplars so readers can
Milton May MAT6324 Module 4 Hands-on really see what she means. As little as three years ago, according to Foasberg, e-readers were still a luxury item. The wealthy and well-educated were the only owners and users of the technology. However, as smartphones have penetrated more into the mainstream and iPhones and Samsung’s Android devices have become more ubiquitous, e-readers exist as free apps and most of the classics are available for free on these apps. Tom Davy in his journal article, “E-textbooks: opportunities, innovations, distractions and dilemmas”, shares a table that highlights the pros and cons of physical books and electronic books.
This
YouTube video by a bubbly teen is reminiscent of this table, although she makes more practical points in her five-minute clip. I really like that the e-text for the UHD course MAT6324 is rentable from Amazon. I ended up purchasing the book to continue to use it after this course is over, but the option to rent it initially made it easier to jump right into it without fretting over paying full price for the title right away. E-texts and e-readers (as well as apps) are gaining traction. Although Foasberg only surveyed students at Queens College, her universe was a diverse collection of students at a typical fouryear urban university. Her numbers indicate that more students who own an e-reader like or love new technologies more than those who do not own such a device. Owners of e-readers also read far more for recreation than those who do not. This data may have implications for improving literacy among students in K-12 as well as post-secondary students.
Milton May MAT6324 Module 4 Hands-on
Milton May MAT6324 Module 4 Hands-on
References Davy, Tom. "E-textbooks: Opportunities, Innovations, Distractions and Dilemmas." Serials: The Journal for the Serials Community 20.2 (2007): 98-102. Uksg.org. United Kingdom Serials Group, 9 July 2007. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. <http://uksg.metapress.com/content/9y80hac8w4ynmnm9/>. Foasberg, Nancy M. "Adoption of E-Book Readers among College Students: A Survey. "Information Technology and Libraries (2011): 108-28. Google Scholar. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Nelson, Mark R. "E-Books in Higher Education: Nearing the End of the Era of Hype?"Educause 43.2 (2008): n. pag. Educause, 8 Jan. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. <https://intranet.ebc.edu.mx/contenido/faculty/archivos/impacto_cultural_140512.pdf>. Webber, Paul J. "Nation's First Bookless Library Opens in San Antonio." The Dallas Morning News. N.p., 3 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. <http://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/headlines/20140103-nation-s-firstbookless-library-opens-in-san-antonio.ece>.