E-Textbooks: User Perspectives and Future Opportunities

Taking the Textbook Digital: Faculty, Student, and Staff Perspectives
Ashley Miller, Educational Technologist, The Ohio State University
Ohio State's theatre department and learning technology teams collaborated to create an interactive, multitouch textbook for use in a large-enrollment course during the 2013–14 school year. In this session, we'll discuss our findings and hear multiple perspectives on teaching and learning with this new tool. Currently at the halfway point of the project, we'll examine our process and evaluation models to understand what should evolve, and we'll rely on participant feedback to help guide the discussion. We'll also ask participants to brainstorm ideas to find ways to creatively apply our findings to their own institutions' digital publishing efforts.

OUTCOMES: Learn how we created and implemented a digital textbook for use in a high-enrollment GEC course * Learn how students in the course experienced the book * Learn about the technology we used to create the textbook * Brainstorm ways to approach a digital book project of this scale at your institution * Interact with others to draw a complete picture of the state of digital publishing at Ohio State now and in the future

E-Textbooks: Current State and Future Opportunities
Cara Giacomini, Research Manager, University of Washington
A tricampus e-textbook pilot at the University of Washington found that current solutions perform below expectations in several key areas, hindering broad adoption and failing to offer substantial advantages over printed textbooks. However, instructor and student feedback revealed five areas where specific enhancements could help e-textbooks realize their potential to transform teaching and learning: offering better pricing; moving beyond fidelity to the printed page; offering true anytime, anywhere access; providing greater availability of materials; and better integrating e-texts into the larger digital learning ecosystem.

OUTCOMES: Obtain criteria for monitoring developments in the rapidly evolving e-textbook market * Understand students' needs and priorities for e-textbooks * Get tips for designing and implementing a learner-centered technology pilot * Get additional resources (an ELI brief and a UW report)