17:15 – 18:15 on Tuesday, 7 September in Room 1
eBooks and eBook Readers bring new challenges and new opportunities for learning technologists. Sony has the eReader, Amazon the Kindle and now Apple has the iPad. Publishers are now offering more titles as eBooks. There is a huge growth and interest in this new medium. Some learners prefer physical books and the feel of paper, but do eBooks have the potential to offer more to the reader? Are eBooks a new way for learners to access information and learning? Are they just a digital version of print, ignoring the affordances of new technologies? This symposium will explore the potential of eBooks, the role of eBook Readers for learning, and the ways in which learning technologists can utilise eBooks to enhance and enrich the learning experience. The panel consists of: educators who have used eBooks with learners; researchers who have researched the use of eBooks in education by learners; publishers who have designed and developed eBooks; and learning technologists. Each member of the panel brings their experience of embedding the use of eBooks with learners. These experiences have been through using eBooks in the classroom and in the library with learners. Researching user behaviour in the use of eBooks and designing eBooks for learners. The session will commence with an overview and introduction of eBooks and eBook technologies, through mobile devices such as the iPad and using the browser. The members of the panel will each deliver a presentation on their view of the future of eBooks. They will pose questions to the audience to stimulate debate and discussions. Panellists with the audience will debate the strengths and weaknesses of eBooks and the various eBook Readers available. They will discuss whether eBooks offer new pedagogies or reinforce existing ones. By the end of the debate participants will have had an opportunity to discuss the advantages and challenges that eBooks bring to education and the role they could play in the enhancement and enrichment of learning.
Music: Comic Plodding by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons “Attribution 3.0” http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Hi James,
I like the video, a great introduction 🙂
I strongly believe that I am part of the last book reading generation. I love books and enjoy the feel of the paper and being able to flick through the pages. I also enjoy there being no tear-inducing glare.
However, even I read short stories and the paper on my smartphone. My wife is constantly on the computer and cannot see a reason for anyone to buy books. The 16-18 year old learners I teach also never read a physical book. I believe that ebooks will be the future for them and we (educators) need to be looking at developing these resources.
I must admit that I did try an e-reader and found the experience very pleasant, though the iPad would prove to be too big. Maybe when the iPad competitors come out (or the baby iPad) it maybe something I invest in and also outcast books forever.
Richard Nelson
http://www.richardnelsononline.co.uk