A Threat to Pen & Paper?

Electronic Books and Readers in Secondary Education Humanities Courses

Electronic Books—also known as e-books—have shifted the way middle school and high school students interact with their reading, but it is not an immediate threat to

pen and paper.Since electronic book hardware and software have been

introduced to secondary education classrooms, they have been proven to support literacy, comprehension,

and learning in secondary education humanities courses, more specifically history, social studies, and

English/literacy courses. This presentation investigates the myriad of opinions and experiences with e-books in these courses, as well as the different e-book hardware and software that are available for educational needs.

Presentation Summary

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eElectronic Books are older than you thinke-Book software was fist developed in the 1960’s. the phrase ‘electronic book’ was coined by van Dam at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island during the 60’s, when he was working on early hypertext systems (Ted, 2005). Since then, organizations such as Project Gutenburg and Google Scholar have made millions of electronic books public, and available for everyone who has access to the internet (Tedd, 2005).

Since the advent of electronic publication, secondary education humanities courses have been challenged to adjust their relevant pedagogical strategies. These shifts have posed many questions: How will this technology be used? What does it provide for humanties based courses? What are the future implications on secondary education humanities courses?

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eElectronic Books: A polarizing subject in

eduationThere has been much controversy and prediction surrounding how e-Books can be used in secondary education, and the impact it may have. There are many reviews, opinions and outlooks on the present and future of electronic books, but only a select fer have actually committed to researching the implications of electronic books and hardware on secondary education humanaties courses.

More specifically for the purpose of this presentation, humanaties courses such as history, social studies and english/literature courses. These implications, both positive and negative, speak to the future of electronic books and hardware in secondary education, and its effects on literacy and comprehension of secondary education students.

Since the late 1990’s, electronic book software and hardware has developed rapidly, but has had lower demand than expected (Larson, 2009). These developments have included touch-screen capabilities, text-to-speech, and E-Ink (Griffey, 2010). The following software have all brought something new to the e-book/e-publishing genre, and provided different kinds of services to secondary education humanaties curriculum.

How are Electronic Books and Readers Used in the Classroom?: Software and Hardware

E-Books are

great!

e-Books are versitile, amazing products

e-Books are not special

e-Books will never

replace boooks!

At its first stage, and most simplest form, e-book software was a single, long page of text, with no format, or function (Cavanaugh, 2005). Since then, e-book software has evolved into different and versitile formats.

According to Cavanaugh (2005), there are five main e-book formats: plain text (txt), web (html/xml), Adobe Reader (PDF), Microsoft Reader (LIT), And eReader (PBD).

Electronic Book Software

All of the five formats are freely available for use, and can be used on computer hardware, handheld devices, PDA’s, mobile phones, and tablet computers. Each formats have different capabilities, and limitations: text-to-speech, word search, printing, bookmarking and highlighting. Secondary humanities classrooms would need to focus on what computers they have, and what their instructional needs are, before commiting to any one of these software. All of these formats can be used in secondary education, with the intenet to support the curriculum (Cavanaugh, 2005).

Cavanaugh (2005) gives the example of a 9th grade langauge arts class, that decided on the eReader format because of its cross-platform capabilities (From Mac to Windows). This class was able to access “a large number of literature classics”; and run a successful literature circle group, using the eReader software (Cavanaugh, 2005).

e-Book Software: “the Big Five”

e-Book software “big five”:plain text (txt), web (html/xml), Adobe Reader (PDF), Microsoft Reader (LIT), And eReader (PBD).

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eMajor devices, and examples of how they have been used in educational environments.

An electronic book hardware device can be a device that’s primary function is not electronic books (like a desktop or a laptop computer), or it can be a device where its primary function is using and reading electronic books (i.e. Amazon’s Kindle).

The following are major devices, as well as examples of how they have been used in three different educational environments.

With the growing use and versitility of electronic books, comes the growth of electronic book readers and devices.

Computers. Desktops, laptops, tablet computers make up this type of hardware: and they are the most versitile and readily available. Computers may not be the most affordable, but they are hardware that many middle schools and high schools already own, thus being able to utilize these resources even more (Cavanaugh, 2005).

Cavanaugh (2005) recognizes that this hardware is important because e-book resource centers and libraires can be set up on already owned school computers for little to no cost, and provide a more technololgy enriched resource for secondary education students.

Computers & Audio Devices

Audio. Personal reading has made audio books emensely popular, but has also proven to be a valuable resource for secondary education. With so many different formats (CD, MP3), audio books can be used on computers, cassette and CD players, DVD’s and iPods. The MP3/MP4 format is popular, and can be listend to in Windows Media Player or iTunes. In the classroom, a computer can be eqipped with speakers so the entire class can hear, or headphones can be connected to the audio device, in order for a more personalized experience.

Specialized readers tend to have a higher cost, and cater to a select audience or age group. Some examples of specialized readers are the LeapPad, PowerTouch and StoryReader. In terms of education, specialized readers are very often developed and marketed for younger children, in primary education (Cavanaugh, 2005). Because of the high cost, specialized readers are too expensive for the average school to invest in, but despite this have been proven to be a success in primary education reading and literacy cources (Cavanaguh, 2005). They are usually bright in color, a bit bulky, and may have books and book content on separate cartridgs that must be purchased seperately from the device.

Specialized Readers & Video Devices

Video. Video can be used with e-book software through TV’s, DVD’s and even computers. On a TV, closed captioning can be used in order to see the words in the audio book, as well as closed captioning on a DVD player, when using the same format e-book. If a TV was manufactured before 1993, and therefore does not have closed captioning, closed captioning decoders can be attached in order to have closed captioned capabilties.

Game-Changers are e-book devices that have paved the way for commercial success in the e-book evolution, and had allowed a chance for secondary education to make reading and literacy more personalized, and technology-based by utilizing some of these devices. E-Readers, as they are called, are “one of the hottest gadgets on the market today” (Griffey, 2010).

Some example of these game-changers are: Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, The Sony Reader, and the iPad (which has many more capabilities than just e-reading and publishing).

These devices were first markated for reading pleasure and luxry items, but have been utilized in secondary education classrooms and humanities courses as a learning tool.

Game-Changers

All of these devices—except the iPad—utilize E-Ink.

E-Ink had led to the “standardized type of display, designed and built by the E-Ink Corporation…What makes E-Ink different from previous display technologies…are its incredibly low power consumption and high contrast, combined with the fact that it’s reflective, rather than transmissive, display, so it is easier on the eyes while using less power” (Griffey, 2010).

“A book is a book is a book. However, we have reached a time in technology development when it si becoming harder to recognize a ‘book’ right away” (Brezici, 2005).

Many articles and viewpoints that are available on the subject are polarized: either the writer/instructor is excited about what e-books can provide for their students, and instructional goals, while other writers/instructors are vehmently against e-books in secondary education, and even state that the content provided by some of these devices “have no soul” (Brezici, 2011).

Islam (2008) has noted “research indicates that electronic books have positive effects on student learning and comprehension (Islam, 2008).

In a study conducted in 2008, graduate students ina reading methods class worked with K-12 students on reading and literacy while using “high quality software and e-books” (Islam, 2008).

During this month long session, it was apparent that students with reading and comprehension difficulties used “electronic books [which were able to offer ]…digitized reading of the genres, click-accessible defintions, schemata, videos, aural and visual reinforcement, and special features designed to support comprehension” (Islam, 2008).

The Islam (2008) study and follwong examples, make it clear that e-book software and hardware contribute to secondary education, and had a benefit in the humanities.

e-Books in Secondary Education Humanaties Courses: Successes and Challenges

Successes:» e-books and publishing has reoriented history curriculum pedagogy, not histroy students can

“develop…an ability not just to read history but also to do history” (Tebeau, 2003).» e-Book tools encourage organizations that supply secondary education classrooms with online

information, to create e-guides and resources.» Teabeau (2003) suggests that with e-books, the whole historical community can engage across all

grade elvels in a na effort to stregthn history surriculum across the board (Tebeau, 2003).

Challenges: A textbook that has received e-publishing treatmnt—America Unbound—features interactive

modules in its online form. Guasco (2003) notes that the content of the textbook online remains “curiously anonymous” and

the “authorial perspective was hard to discern,” (Guasco, 2003). There is a lack of “well-integrated historical narritive, in which the e-book restores historical events

to one-line paragraphs” (Guasco, 2003).

Humanaties Course 1: History

Successes:» There are a plethora of social studies oriented e-books available, such as CIA’s

World Factbook, to John Quincy Adams Amistad Argument. » e-Book’s of social studies nature tend to cater to the concentration of interaction

in social studies curriculum.» Social Studies e-books can literally be databases of information, much like the CIA

Factbook.» Cavanaugh (2005) dicusses a Mr. Nana’s 10th grade class, which utilized CIA World

Factbook in their daily coursework.» Whenever a new country was mentioned, a student was selected to use the

computer to look up the country in the CIA Factbook database, get information on the country, and summarize the information in a Word document. This document was then printed and posted on a bulletin board (Cavanaugh, 2005).

» This is an example of how an e-book, of web format, is readily available, at no cost, and is used successfully in a social studies classroom.

Challenges:» Limited availability of global topics in e-book form, mostly western hemisphere

topics» Limitied social studies topics in different languages

Humanaties Course 2: Social Studies

Successes: » e-Books are trying to accomplish being “the book metaphor” (Crestani, Landoni & Melucci, 2006).» (Crestani et al, 2006) discuss e-books success in accomplishign this, and from “ a conceptual point of view, [e-

books] are an attempt to overcom the limitations of paper books by adding a series of useful features made possible through the natuer of the electronic environment” (Crestini et al., 2006)

» Willd (2009) highlights a Kindle experiement in a 7th grade language arts classs, where the instructor called them “The Kindle Crew” (Willd, 2009).

» The 7th graders read their books on a Kindle, and had success reatinign information, and enjoyed making the font bigger, which enabled the students to read with more ease (Willd, 2009).

Challenges:» Brezici (2011) states a disatisfaction with Amazon Kindles, after using the devices with his AP English course. » Students read both the e-book and print text of “The Mayor of Casterbridge” at the same time» Bresici (2011) notes that only one student said they would read a full book on a Kindle (Brezici, 2011).» “The keypad, annotating and highlighting, and navigating features are awakward. The ‘% of the book’ and

location numbers replace page numbers. The speakers voice is toneless. You don’t get a full page (Brezici, 2011).

» Issues of retaining information after reading on the device, to being “deprived of the gratification of reading the final page and closing the book”

Humanaties Course 3: English/Literature

Despite its shape shifting nature, e-books have been recognized as books. How these newly defined books should eb used in secondary education classrooms is still a controversial topic, with little to no consistancy across the board.

Also, some of the criticisims of e-books and e-book hardware focus on issues with the inherent capabilities of the software and hardware themselves, and not what they accomplish as educational tools.

Not many qualitative, and data-driven studies have been conducted on how e-books have contributed to secondary education in particular subjects, many studies speak about secondary education as a whole

Studies involving secondary education humanaties-based courses that take qualitiative and quantitivative data will shed light on how e-books drive student data

Studies comparing different e-book software and hardware and their implications on secondary education would shed light on wheather some formats are more appropriate than others.

Study Limitations & Further Research

Conclusion: The Future of e-Books in Secondary Education Humanities Subjects

Larson (2009) notes: “e-Book have been available for over a decade, but researchers have only recently begun to evaluate the quality, benefits, and possibilities of this form of reading” (Larson, 2009)

Tebeau (2003) discussed the possibilities of e-publishing in education: “Although they do not dictate a single pedagogical approach, e-opportunities do recommend teaching strategies that make active learning, the process of dynamically interpreting and constructing the past, central to classroom life” (Tebeau, 2003).

e-Books have allowed middle school and high school students in humanities courses to collaborate, publish, and explore.

Bromley (2009) asks readers to understand the current world we live in, a world “without pens and pencils, and paper, where we download not only Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and recipes, but also magazines, newspapers, books and other printed material (Bromley, 2009).

Bromley (2009) has an ambitious outlook on the future of e-books in secondary education, though revolutionary, they are not a threat to paper and pen, but has proven to support instructional learning in secondary education, while engaging students readers in a new reading experience.

ReferencesBrezecki, C. Kindling: the amazon e-reader as an educational tool. (cover story). (2010). Phi Delta Kappan, 92(4), 22-23. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http:/ /search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=55682926&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Bromley, K. (2010). Picture a world without pens, pencils, and paper: The unanticipated future of reading and writing. Journal of College Reading & Learning, 40(3), 97-108. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=55196437&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Cavanaugh, T. (2005). The digital reader: using e-Books in k-12 education. Retrieved from: http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&jid=3GPT&site=ehost-live

Crestani, F., Landoni, M., & Melucci, M. (2006). Appearance and functionality of electronic books. International Journal on Digital Libraries, 6(2), 192-209. doi:10.1007/s00799-004-0113-9

Gale encyclopedia of E-commerce; electronic publishing (2002). In Malonis J. A. (Ed.), Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3405300151&v=2.1&u=umd_umuc&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w

Griffey, J. (2010). Chapter 2: Electronic book readers. Library Technology Reports, 46(3), 7. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http:/ /search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx ?

direct=true&db=f5h&AN=53489098&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Guasco, M. J. (2003). Building the better textbook: The promises and perils of E-publication. Journal of American History, 89(4), 1458-1462. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ehh&AN=9335707&login.asp&site=ehost -live&scope=site

Islam, C. (2008). Incorporating electronic books into a graduate reading methods class: Improving the comprehension of students in grades K-12. Kentucky Journal of Excellence in College Teaching & Learning, 6, 31-43. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ehh&AN=38708787&login.asp&site=ehos -live&scope=site

Larson, L.C. (2009). E-reading and e-responding: new tools for the next generation of readers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 53(3). 255-258. doi:10.1598/JAAL.53.3.7

Tebeau, M. (2003). Pursuing E-opportunities in the history classroom. The Journal of American History, 89(4), pp. 1489-1494. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3092554

Tedd, L. (2005). E-Books in academic libraries: An international overview. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 11(1), 57-79. doi:10.1080/13614530500417701

Willd. (2009). What middle school students say about the kindle. Retrieved from: http://www.edukindle.com/2009/12/what-middle-school-students-say-about-the-kindle/