The Merits of Digital Textbooks

The advent and increasing ubiquity of digital text books has revolutionized the reading process for students. Learners with print disabilities have especially benefited from the inclusion of accessibility features, such as larger text and text-to-speech. In addition, due to the digital nature of e-textbooks, the reading habits of readers can be monitored and stored. The learning analytics gleaned from certain digital textbooks provide academics with a wealth of meaningful data to explore and analyze for trends.

For example, a new study from Iowa State University examined the habits of students using digital textbooks from CourseSmart. Researchers compiled an “engagement index,” based on students’ highlighting and minutes spent reading. Further, they explored the number of days a student spent reading. The study concluded that both the aforementioned factors were strong indicators of academic success. However, when controlling for past academic achievement, the subject matter, course, instructor, and the number of days students read provided a much stronger predictor of performance. 

The researchers postulate that the findings of this study could help professors identify struggling students as they worked through assignments. By exploring the digital textbook metrics, professors are able to evaluate a student’s time on task, as well as their level of active learning engagement as evidenced by the frequency of their highlighting and notations. Professors could potentially use the learning analytics gleaned from digital readings as a formative assessment measure to check in on how students are faring with the academic material. However, it should be noted that in this study, while highlighting was related to final course grades, it was not statistically significant correlation. 

An article on digital textbooks and the Iowa State university study wouldn’t be complete without a note about CourseSmart, a publisher of eTextbooks and digital resources. Textbooks and resources created by CourseSmart include features that promote active reading and higher engagement. Students are able to take notes and highlight text within the digital text, as well as copy and paste to an external document for easy report writing. Students are able to use the multiple viewing functions or search the text for key words or ideas to help them better analyze and comprehend the text. CourseSmart e-textbooks can be read both online and offline, on a full range of device from laptops to phones to tablets. Further, several assistive technologies have been embedded into CourseSmart resources to meet the needs of vision and hearing impaired users. 

Missing from this study is an exploration of the privacy issues raised by this kind of analysis. The researchers note that they obtained online consent from the students whose reading patterns they examined to have their studying included and analyzed in the research project. However, as the researchers note, "The advent of digital textbooks ... affords educators the opportunity to unobtrusively collect learning analytics data from student use of reading materials." They go on to note that, "The CourseSmart analytics platform was developed to address [specific] steps of the learning analytics process. First, the analytics platform captures data on interactions with the digital textbook in real-time. Second, the platform translates the raw data into a calculated Engagement Index and reports this information to faculty." We wonder if the students using these digital books are fully aware that their professors have the capacity to see what they read, how often, and whether or not they highlight their work. 

Science Apps from Tinybop

Like many of the strong educational app suites available today, the spark that turned into Tinybop came when the CEO was searching for apps for his own son and came up empty handed. Often, digital tools can be fun and engaging for children but lack educational rigor. However, there are several strong ed Tech companies that have set out to change that by creating tools that are more than simple busywork. One such company that  is radically changing the landscape of science education is Tinybop.

The Explorer Library offered by Tinybop provides students with whimsically interactive ways for kids to engage with basic science concepts. Tinybop explains it best, by saying that in these apps, “kids play and learn by diving into big ideas, seeing how things work and making connections about the world they live in.” If English isn’t your first language that is okay, Tinybop releases many of their apps in over 50 languages to ensure that learners of all backgrounds can access their incredible content.

The Human Body app allows students to explore the skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, and digestive systems in a highly interactive manner. Using your iPhone’s camera, children can watch pupils dilate and learn how we send messages through to our brain. Meanwhile, in the Plants app, students will master life cycles and explore different environments and habitats. Students can travel across time and explore the earth’s layers in the Earth app, or understand mechanics by conducting their own experiments in the Simple Machines App.

Beyond the applications, the Tinybop website offers additional resource materials to extend the learning beyond the digital space. Using the educational handbooks students can read more about the area of science they are mastering and glean answers to some of their burning questions. Again, like the apps, each handbook is produced in several languages. If you are interested in knowing more about the benefits of these apps for promoting inquiry and scientific learning, you can review the company’s One Sheet. To keep the science learning going, Tinybop has curated some of their favorite resources in their Loves section of their website. The apps and additional resources are worth exploring to help any budding scientist explore the world around them.

Tools for a Paperless Classroom

Over the summer vacation I have been having conversations with many of my teacher friends about their professional goals for the upcoming school year. I have been surprised by how many of them have set their sights on striving toward a paperless classroom. During my time in the classroom, I too tried to make my classroom as paperless as possible. Yet as any K-12 teacher knows, it is a hard feat to do away with all printed handouts and materials and the photocopier is often an educator’s best friend. However, as Ed tech keeps changing the face of the classroom, there are a variety of tools being built to help those teachers who are eager to go paperless. The following are a few exceptional resources to help manage and organize a paperless classroom:

Showbie            

Showbie is a platform that helps teachers assign, gather, grade and return assignments. Both tablet and web versions of Showbie are available to enable teachers to organize their workflow. During the grading process, teachers are able to add personalized annotations, corrections and voice notes. Similarly, when assignments are sent out using Showbie, the tool allows students to annotate on the handouts directly in the app. Showbie also has the capacity to sync with over 1000 different apps, allowing your students to submit their work from other tools such as Noteability. 

Vision ME
Vision ME is a classroom management app that allows teachers to manage the classroom workflow, from assigning activities to gathering and grading. Beyond materials management, Vision ME also allows students to chat with other students in real time in order to provide valuable feedback. Furthermore, Vision ME has embedded features like a blank attention screen to grab students’ focus and the ability to limit Internet access on student tablets. Another excellent feature of this particular tool is that it is not only available in English, but also in Spanish, French, Dutch, German and Japanese.

Google Classroom
We have written before about Google classroom, a space where teachers can organize their workflow by easily creating assignments, distributing materials, gathering completed work and tracking grades, all in one paperless space. On the assignments page, students are able to see what has been assigned and when it is due, which they can access from both home and school. In addition, teachers are able to monitor who has completed their assignment and provide feedback to any students who appear to be struggling. Google Classroom also has the capacity to enhance communication, as teachers are able to send announcements to students and parents or instigate class discussions through the tool. The really exciting aspect of using Google classroom is that is it constantly being developed, upgraded and improved. For example, in July 2015, Google expanded the tool to included mobile notifications. 

Learning from the Gates Foundation

I have written about my interest in global citizenship in previous posts. So, when I recently was invited to attend the Gates Social with Anil Dash on digital technology and its ability to effect world change, I was, needless to say, ecstatic. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is an organization I follow closely. They are effecting change across sectors both nationally and internationally. If you aren’t familiar with their work, I encourage you to explore their website, where you will find research, stories and detailed accounts of the projects being undertaken. Furthermore, the Gates Annual letter came out in January, and it is an excellent succinct overview of where the Gates Foundation hopes to be headed across industries in the coming 15 years.

As for the Gates Social, I had to brave a blizzard to attend the event, but I am so very glad I did. I left the day inspired and excited about the developments being made across sectors, and immensely thankful to have connected with other like minded, passionate attendees. My hope in the global progress being made was surely renewed. Furthermore, I came away with a deeper knowledge of mobile banking and the ability it has to empower the world’s poor and the innovations occurring in the agricultural industry. These are areas where my expertise isn’t robust, so I was thrilled to glean novel insights from both the speakers and the attendees.

However, education played a major role in the discussions of the day. Since this is my area of greatest interest and expertise and the area in which I am most invested, my biggest take away from the Gates Social was how mindful the Gates Foundation is being as they invest in and champion the shift from brick and mortar education to a more online, accessible and digital model of learning. 

During the event those in the room had a chance to dig into the Gates Annual letter, and ask the tough questions of Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the current CEO of the Gates Foundation. The Gates Letter concisely articulates the global shift toward digitizing education, and the variety of tools that have the power to transform the current state of the education sector. What excited me most was that the letter doesn’t shy away from advocating that this fundamental change will not and could not replace teachers. As a former teacher, I could not agree more. However, with my background in leading Ed Tech professional development for teachers and past research into tech Pro-d, this had me curious about how the Gates Foundation plans to support teachers in building their 21st century teaching skills so they are able to effectively integrate and utilize these new tools. I had the chance to ask Dr. Desmond-Hellmann this very question. Her response was as eloquent as it was detailed. Dr. Desmond-Hellmann began by affirming that teachers need to be at the heart of any change, and that the Gates Foundation was mindful of this fact. She went on to elaborate her experiences in the schools and what she has observed there. This excited me, as I am thankful to hear of policy makers spending their time getting into the field before they make key decisions. Dr. Desmond-Hellmann concluded by affirming that she is aware of the barriers in terms of teacher readiness and expertise when implementing new technology. This awareness is critical, because even without a formal teacher support plan, being mindful the hurdles in the implementation process is a good place to start crafting one. 

As I write this, I am aware that the role of the Gates Foundation in education and educational policy is not without its detractors. The Gates Foundation has put significant resources behind the implementation of Common Core standards nationwide, and these are the subject of much debate and controversy among parents, educators and administrators. Whatever your position on the implementation of the Common Core, I hope that the Foundation's work in educational technology can be appreciated for its positive impact for teachers and their students.

I am so thankful to have been invited to join the conversation at the first Gates Social hosted in New York City, and hope to be able to attend any future events held in our region. I am equally excited to watch as the Gates Foundation works out the vision they have laid out in their current Annual letter over the next 15 years. The last thing I leave you with also happens to be the conclusion of the Gates Annual letter, and that is their call for Global Citizens. The Gates Foundation is launching an initiative to gather like-minded passionate people and inform them of the headway being made in making our globe a more equitable place to live. So head over to the Gates Letter and register as a Global Citizen.