As the pandemic and subsequent lockdown proved, humans are amazingly adjustable beings.
Who can forget how quickly schools and colleges moved from physical classrooms to virtual ones in many parts of the world? Part of teaching virtually was, of course, using electronic textbooks. It looks like those may actually stay on.
Textbooks are an integral part of education – we remember taking notes in the margins, doodling, even sending notes to each other using these books.
The electronic versions are less dynamic in these ways but they may achieve something else.
Of course traditional textbooks have an advantage: they need no external support like a device to be read, their pages are easy to manoeuvre and compare in real time. Plus they are a permanent reminder of our reading journey, even inviting others to browse through our collection.
That is not to take away from the usefulness of digital books. From catering to different learning styles, using the audio feature for those with reading challenges, hands-on access to meanings and further information about concepts via hyperlinks and even being able to change the font for better reading experience are all undeniable advantages to e-books.
When it comes to textbooks, the advantages are even more obvious.
Students need to carry a lighter load to school, specific chapters can be downloaded for exercises and interactive material can be included for extra practice.
In fact, some exercises are now collaborative and students can actively engage with a book to arrive at solutions or work through a particularly difficult question. The link to learner motivation is clear.
One of the most important advantages of an electronic textbook is the speed at which it can be revised. Previously, books once published would only see another edition after a decade, with students, meanwhile, learning outdated material.
This is especially true in cases where teachers can add their own examples or exercises based on student range and capacity. Adding more, or less challenging tasks based on student performance can cater to a wide group of students, even helping each student at their own level.
The monetary implications are no less significant. In the long run, even after equipping students with the necessary devices and factoring in their maintenance, electronic textbooks work out to be cheaper. It is now possible to rent out a textbook for an academic year, so students will not have to buy a book but just borrow it.
More research is necessary to make any recommendation about the veracity of using electronic textbooks, however.
Studies have shown that, while young learners are very comfortable using electronic devices and gadgets for entertainment such as gaming and being on social media, they would still prefer to study from a hard copy of a textbook.
The constant scrolling, remembering of data, dates or other information is seen to be easier in a traditional book. The jury is still out on this important educational topic.
Sandhya Rao Mehta
The writer is an Assoc Prof, Dept of English Language and Literature, Sultan Qaboos University
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