Emerging Technologies Tetrad
Module 2
EDUC 7108
According to EBook Task Force 2000, the has been a shift to the commercial production, sale, and distribution of e-books that has changed how libraries deal with this new technology (Snowhill, 2001). E-books will enhance learning by offering creative possibilities in many ways. Primarily, e-books will never go out of print, new editions can be easily created, content is accessible anytime/anywhere and can be read using a multitude of electronic handheld readers, PCs or laptops.
E-books will obsolete the need for schools to purchase hard cover text books, further eliminating students lugging around backpacks that weigh more than they do. Also, e-books has the potential to greatly alter the public library and how books are checked out by patrons. With e-books, patrons will not have to visit the library to get books, but simply access via the internet. Lastly, with the implementation of e-books in the school environment, students with reading disabilities or the auditory learner will benefit from having an e-book edition that can be read to them, much like books on tape.
If e-books are to emerge and become accepted by a large portion of the population, it is possible that a cell phone application could permit the reading of e-books on a cell phone.
Finally, the content of e-books has the potential to rekindle stories or legends that were once told by family members and passed from generation to generation.
References:
Snowhill, L. (2001). E-books and their future in academic libraries. Retrieved from http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july01/snowhill/07snowhill.html.
Thornburg, D. D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.
Jane,
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the e-book rekindling past stories and legends and passing them onto future generations intrigues me. I have seen groups huddled around notebook computers and e-books deep in conversation. Would e-books generate cooperative group dynamics to enhance the nature, scope, and value of knowledge transfer? How would the next generation handle the oral and written tradition of the past? The former is the basis for the “sage or elder in the village” being the arbiter of knowledge and wisdom. We, indeed, are living at a fascinating tine of technological innovation. With far more information than we can possibly handle in multiple lifetimes at our fingertips, what would be the basis on which we say, “No” to what is less meaningful and valuable? With the stage being set for numerous educational applications in mobile computing, the diffusion of e-books in every discipline of education is a certainty.
Thanks
David
Jane,
ReplyDeleteIt never crossed my mind about cell phones having an application for e-books, but it could be possible, especially if e-books use continues to rise steadily plus due to continued advances in technology new applications are created daily. An additional aspect of your tetrad concerning what may become obsolete due to e-books was books on tape. I utilize books on tape daily with my students because I teach kindergarten and they are just starting to read. However, I did not consider books on tape becoming obsolete, but they could.
Do you really think that e-books could really replace all hard cover textbooks in schools? I have included a website that focuses on should e-books replace real books which was insightful.
http://www.sync-blog.com/sync/2010/06/should-ebooks-for-kids-be-replacing-real-books.html
Jane,
ReplyDeleteI can really relate to the students having to carry around those heavy backpacks and I see that an e-book would be so much easier and healthier! I just think they need to increase the graphic images like in the URL that Charlotte provided on her blog. If they could appeal more to the visual learner as well as the actual text, it would be so great!
I can possibly see this becoming a 3D image that expands from the e-book with the press of a button or touch of a screen. Imagine the increased interest in reading that would bring about!
Cynthia