Dear Reader,
What problem are we trying to solve?
What solutions exist today for this problem?
What new solutions can schools implement to address this problem?
A viable digital Solution?
Such a media rich device can incorporate additional learning techniques like audio podcasts from teachers, video snippets from educational sites, sharing of notes, submitting homework electronically, etc.
What could be the downside to an e-textbook?
If you've studied in India you'll surely remember lugging around a bag with textbooks and notebooks every day. Little has changed since I finished high school (20 years ago). I live in a locality with 4 schools in the surrounding areas, all of which have primary, secondary and high schools. And I can't help but notice the large shoulder bags that children lug around every day. There must be an easier way to carry all those books every day. And its not just textbooks (which are usually hard bound to keep from wear and tear) but also notebooks (multiple per subject at times).
Below is a collage of pics that I took of bags of school children where I live. And these are the shoulder bags of kids in grades 6 to 8. That's a lot of stuff to lug around every day!
What problem are we trying to solve?
Reduce the physical load on school children of carry books.
What solutions exist today for this problem?
Technically none. School children today still carry their books to and from home. The number of books carried can be reduced by providing a locker facility to each student to store their books, wherein they'll only need to carry the relevant books home. Providing lockers to every student is impossible in a country like India where space is scarce and basic facilities themselves are not available in some schools leave alone lockers.
What new solutions can schools implement to address this problem?
A change in the structure of the timetable may help reduce the number of books needed to be carried to and from home everyday. This may already be implemented by some schools in some form or the other. Nevertheless, here is one possible re-organization of the timetable; re-organize the timetable in such a way that a student only needs to carry books for 1-2 subjects for that day thus reducing the load. Swapping the timetable axis in its current form is another way to re-organize the subjects taught for a given day.
Textbooks can also be rebound to weekly or bi-weekly modules. Where the chapters for each subject are collated into weekly (or bi-weekly) modules. In effect you have all relevant content in weekly modules and only the weekly modules need to be carried around for that week. The way textbooks are organized today with publishers owning the copyright for different textbooks, it is not viable to expect publishers to organize content into weekly content. Hence the onus should lie on the schools or parents themselves to do this which is again not a viable solution.
A viable digital Solution?
Extending a more feature rich tablet like device exclusively for textbooks that store textbook content can turnout to be a viable solution. E-Textbook devices must be modeled and designed to suit the ways in which children use textbooks today. A two-sided open design with note taking capability (underline, highlight, circle, etc.) is a start.
An e-textbook does not have to be purchased every year only the content needs to be purchased or renewed for each academic year. Hence the long term cost of purchasing an e-textbook should be low enough to justify buying one. The content itself can be purchased on a subscription basis with limited or perpetual access to the content.
Such a media rich device can incorporate additional learning techniques like audio podcasts from teachers, video snippets from educational sites, sharing of notes, submitting homework electronically, etc.
Note taking is still a challenge in the way note taking happens today. A well designed stylus and screen interface is required to allow for handwritten notes. A separate device can be designed for only note taking just like how it is today... you have separate books for classwork, homework and textbooks. New innovations in note taking for different subjects can be incorporated into the e-notebook for different subjects.
E-textbooks can also be extended to pre-college and college going students. As long as the content is available and cost is not high.
Here is a news snippet that I came across for this shift.
Here is a news snippet that I came across for this shift.
What could be the downside to an e-textbook?
New is always attractive to children. Content must be media rich and continuously updated to keep the interest in the lesson or subject. Note taking must be seamless and easy. Children will adopt quickly, it is the mindset of the teachers, parents and publishers that need to change for the wide spread adoption of such a device. Price will also be an important factor in decision making.
What other challenges do you see in using and adopting such a device? Let me know in the comments section.
Until next time.
Regards,
Jyothin
PS: I plan to follow up this post with a sample design of an e-textbook and e-notebook. Would love to get in touch with designers who can help with that.