ebooks litreview final draft
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Electronic Books for the Gifted and Disabled
Dain A. Shimabuku
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Introduction
One day, school bags may be obsolete and e-Books will be the norm. As
technology becomes accessible to classrooms, technology will change the way students
obtain information. Electronic books, also known as e-Books, are changing the way
students learn. Because technology itself is attractive to many students, e-Books can
provide a motivation approach for remediation (Weber and Cavanaugh, 2006). This
literature review will discuss the definition of e-Books, the advantages and
disadvantages, and how e-Books supports gifted and disabled learners.
What are e-Books?
According to Weber and Cavanaugh (2006), E-Books are textual documents that
have been converted and published in an electronic format that displays on e-Book
readers, devices, or computers using e-Book software programs. Amazons Kindle and
Apples IPad are examples of e-Book readers and E-Books are the books of the future.
Electronic-book format may overtake p-books (paper books) by 2008, and by 2020 the
revolution will be complete (Towle, Dearnley, McKnight, 2007). Since e-Books are
relatively new, the cost to purchase e-Book hardware and software is relatively high
compared to p-books. Currently a high school text book costs $150 and the newest e-
Book the I-Pad, costs $499.
Aversion of e-Books is coursepacks. Coursepacks are photocopies of
copyrighted journal articles, book chapters, and other materials (Davis, 2009).
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Coursepacks may save money and time for both students and instructors. Purchasing a
coursepack is less expensive than purchasing the entire text. Coursepacks could also
supplement a textbook or other resource.
Advantages and Disadvantages of e-Books:
E-Books are becoming a new resource that is available to those who have
computers or e-Book readers. When new technology is presented there are advantages
and disadvantages of using it. E-books offer great promise as an emerging educational
technology, but to date this potential remains largely untapped (Simon, 2001). The e-
Book is relatively new to consumers. As e-Books become affordable many institutions
may purchase them for their students. The E-Books have features that allow easier
accessibility compared to multiple texts.
Advantages of e-Books:
Beside accessibility, another advantage of e-Books is portability. E-Books are
easier to transport especially when multiple text books are needed. The student could
archive all the material onto a personal computer, building a permanent library from
every course he or she has taken. (Simon, 2001). Students will be able to retrieve
information from previous text a lot easier compared with traditional textbooks.
On e-books, students can emulate most of a standard texts features, such as
underlining, bookmarking, writing in margins, and looking up words in a glossary
(Simon, 2001) The text features that eBooks have allow students to manipulate the page
like a regular textbook. The ability to manipulate the text allows students to interact with
the text in a user friendly way compared with textbooks.
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Beside manipulation, students are able to adjust the way they view text. Fonts can
be adjusted to meet the needs of those with poor eye sight. E-Books offer many extras
like large storage capacity, light weight, hyperlinking, adjustable fonts, search
capabilities, and customizable content (Simon, 2001).
The ability to retrieve up-to-date information on the e-Books allows the students
to utilize current information. Digital textbooks can be updated on the fly with
information (Woudstra, 2003). Many students retrieve their information from the
internet and e-Books will be current and give students modern information.
Technological breakthroughs, such as flexible, full-color screens along with
improved digital management and delivery systems, will revolutionize the way students
access information (Egan, 2009). As technology improves, the information gathered by
students will be through an e-Book rather than a textbook. The ability to view in color
with an increase in speed, the e-Book may change the way information is gathered.
Disadvantages of e-Books:
When new technology is introduced problems are recognized by users and
improvements have to be made. The hardware is not up to speed (Simon, 2001). The
hardware doesnt allow students to browse through pages at a faster rate. E-Book
manufacturers need to create hardware that meets the needs of the users.
Another disadvantage of e-books is the LCD screens. The LCD screens were
small, had insufficient resolution, and were black-and-white (Simon, 2001). Color
screens are important in courses such as biology. The colored diagrams and illustration in
the biology textbook are important as it distinguishes parts of cells and life. Studies
comparing reading on screen and paper for comprehension and accuracy tend to lean in
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favor of print (Woudstra, 2003). Though e-Books allow portability, when it comes to
comprehension those who read from paper tend to understand better than those who do
not.
Eye experts, according to Jane Healy, believe computer use is creating problems
with visual development in young children (Woudstra, 2003). Over the past quarter
century technology has been viewed through a screen. VCRs, DVDs, video games, and
mp3 players have been introduced and utilized by many youths. E-Books require students
to read text through a screen for a period of time and may contribute to the increase in
visual development in youth.
How e-Books support gifted and disabled learners
Disabled Learners
Since No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB 2001) and the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) accommodations for these students requires
differentiation. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 defines
assistive technology as any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether
acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase,
maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability (Rhodes and
Milby, 2007). According to the IDEA of 2004s definition, the e-Book is considered an
assistive technology.
Through e-books, students are exposed to sound, animation, and interactive
activities that scaffold learning and are able to master tasks that may not be accomplished
independently (Rhodes and Milby, 2007). Students with disabilities usually have
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multiple problems and e-books are a tool that may address all of those problems. Students
with disabilities are often visual and kinesthetic learners. Students who have disabilities
the physical turning of a p-book page is a difficult task. E-Books allow these students to
interact with the information that is presented.
Through the use of teacher-created e-books, students with disabilities are able to
gain access to the literature used in the regular classroom program and deepen their
understanding (Rhodes and Milby, 2007). A second grade teacher in Virginia creates her
own e-books using Microsoft PowerPoint. Microsoft PowerPoint lets the user create a
slide show. Teachers can post graphics as well as text on each slide and each slide is
comparable to a page on a text. Microsoft PowerPoint allows slides to be animated and
the animation can be applied to the transition between slides. Animation can also be
added to selected graphics or texts. Audio or voiceovers can be added to assist students
who have visual disabilities. Research on students with reading disabilities showed that
comprehension improved when text-to-speech was combined with reading (Weber and
Cavanaugh, 2006).
E-books allow students with disabilities to learn the same level of materials as
their general education classmates are allowed to interact with the text. Students who
have difficulty in reading because of their vision may make the text larger and easier to
view. E-books are considered to be an assistive technology and could assist disabled
learners in the future.
Gifted Learners
Gifted readers in particular can benefit from the added tools and variety afforded
by e-Books. (Weber and Cavanaugh, 2006) Gifted readers are those who excel in many
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subjects and often read independently. The independent reading allows students to make
connections in the plot of stories. Weber and Cavanaugh (2006) stated that Abilock
(1999) identified five facts about gifted readers. 1) Gifted readers are skilled, flexible
readers who read often; 2 )gifted readers monitor their reading; 3) linguistically rich texts
are especially suited to gifted readers; 4) gifted readers use other strengths in response to
the particular demands of text; and 5) gifted readers are passionate readers who find
books to love.
Gifted readers read at an accelerated rate compared to their classmates. Since
gifted readers are advanced the materials that are needed must be made available for them
to access and e-books meet those needs. When a gifted reader is done with their reading
material they can download new reading material within hours. Access to a wide variety
of books encourages exposure to 1) new and challenging information, 2) varied subjects,
3) areas of interest, and 4) difficult vocabulary and concepts. (Weber and Cavanaugh,
2006).
It is estimated that between 20-50% of gifted students underachieve (Weber and
Cavanaugh, 2006). Supportive strategies, remedial strategies, and intrinsic strategies are
found to be effective in working with students who are not reaching their potential.
Technology, particularly e-books, contributes to motivation as students learn more
effectively and teachers are more efficient.
Conclusion
Electronic books may aid in the learning process for gifted and disabled learners.
E-books are an effective instructional strategy for students with disabilities. The
embedded supports scaffold learners, enabling all children to be successful in the
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classroom (Rhodes and Milby, 2007). The ability to increase font size may allow the
reader to comprehend the material. Larger font sizes and spacing actually cause the eyes
to move more slowly while reading, allowing students to tracker their reading more
easily (Weber and Cavanaugh, 2006). Electronic books may benefit the gifted learner as
books are readily available and accessible. Once cost decreases and production on
eBooks increase the textbooks used by students in the classroom may change.
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Reference:
Briggs, L. (2009, September 30). Embracing electronic textbooks. Retrieved fromhttp://campustechnology.com/Articles/2009/09/30/Embracing-Electronic-Textbooks.aspx
Davis, B. (2009). Tools for teaching. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Egan, C. (2009, August 16). Students to dump textbook for eBooks. Retrieved fromhttp://www.theage.com.au/national/students-to-dump-textbooks-for-ebooks-20090815-elsu.html
Rhodes, J, & Milby, T. (2007, November). Teacher-created electronic books: integratingtechnology to support readers with disabilities. Reading Teacher, 61(3), 255-259.
Simon, E.J. (2001, August 27). Are e-books ready for the classroom?. Campus
Technology. Retrieved March 22, 2010, fromhttp://campustechnology.com/Articles/2001/08/Are-eBooks-Ready-for-the-Classroom.aspx?page=1
Towle, G, Dearnley, J, & McKnight, C. (2001). Electronic books in the 20032005period: some. Publishing Research Quality, 23(2), 95-104.
Weber, C, & Cavanaugh, T. (2006). Using EBooks with gifted and advanced readers.Gifted Child Today, 29(4), 56-63.
Woudstra, W.J. (2003). The future of textbooks: e-books in the classroom: PublishingCentral. Retrieved March 23, 2010, fromhttp://publishingcentral.com/articles/20030813-68-4409.html?si=5
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