The Impact of using interactive ebook in K-12 different subjects and higher education Essay Example

Summary of the Whole Previous Parts Briefly

The use of e-books during learning is an aspect that has drawn considerable scholarly debate to an extent that there is a plethora of niche-specific studies on its efficacy. For instance,
مصر(2016) examined whether leveraging technology when teaching Arabic helps to improve learning outcomes. The findings revealed that there is a positive nexus between using online platforms and higher learning outcomes as they offer rich and interactive learning resources that bolster students’ self-confidence and linguistic ability. In affirming this
لتدريس مادة اللغةlooked into the use of whiteboards within the classroom setting. The study established that Arabic instructors require training courses on technology usage and that learners who use the interactive whiteboard were able to achieve a higher average score than those who did not use it.

English Language

Among elementary students, the use of an interactive learning system helped students to achieve a high level of reading fluency (Education Technology, 2012). It was found that the relation between the usability and functionality of the developed system and the feedback from the participants was existed (Education Technology, 2012).

Mathematics

The use of e-learning systems is especially beneficial because of the interactivity afforded by the Internet. Students find it easy to communicate among themselves and with their teachers whenever they need help and can also receive prompt feedback (Unianu & Purcaru, 2014). The researchers highlight one particular limitation associated with e-learning systems, which is that it cannot match the impact of in person feedback (Unianu & Purcaru, 2014).

Creating more interactive opportunities for students to learn increases their ability to remain engaged and feel more connected to their learning (Anderson, 2015). In livens up the learning material which is particularly critical in the current epoch that is characterized by a lot of distraction that competes for students’ attention.

There is, however, a possibility of students’ performance lagging as was found by Stickles (2015). The researcher examined the performance of students who used hard copy and typical textbooks. The results revealed that there was a huge difference in the students’ performance of both groups in the final exam (Stickles, 2015). The group that used traditional textbooks outperformed the other group scoring (Stickles, 2015). However, the evidence provided by the research is hardly conclusive due to several discrepancies such as the use of different evaluation metrics for the participants.

As regards science, e-learning goes beyond the limitations of traditional learning by helping students to access to science curriculum that is 3D while gaining assurance of their technology skills by applying it daily (NTSA, 2008). Scientific investigations become uncomplicated with the usage of the devices and applications that become accessible to students adopting e learning (NTSA, 2008).

There is also the possibility to enrich the learning experience through music (Berk, 2008; Berk et al., 2014). This is possible through e-learning platforms that allow student to play music in a smooth and easy way which is playing music using meta-instrument (Berk et al., 2014).

The integration of ICTs in education has a significant impact on both teaching and learning processes as it helps students to interact more with the available information (Amin, n.d.). ICTs can also inspire the independent learning as it allows the students to search and find new sources of information (Amin, n.d.).

Kindergarten

Strout (2010) examined students’ interest in e-books depending on their reading abilities including average, below average, and above average based upon their Developmental Reading Assessment score. The study outcomes showed that average students had the least interest in e-books, while below average students had the highest interest in e-books (Strout, 2010). Above average students had most positive feeling towards e-books (Strout, 2010). Liu, Navarette, and Wivagg (2014) took a different turn and sought to investigate the use of e-learning of IPad touch devices in kindergarten school level, and how effective it would be to deploy iPads on 3-4 years to utilize in the classroom. In a nutshell, the research findings emphasized the importance of mobile learning devices «such as iPod touch» can help and support Ell students to learn language through audio books, internet, and media which suit student’s different needs (Liu, Navarette, & Wivagg, 2014). Using iPad is a great way to encourage young learners particularly in literacy (Liu, Navarette, & Wivagg, 2014).
By incorporating choice into their writing curriculum, students are more engaged in their writing across the curriculum (Liu, Navarette, & Wivagg, 2014). E-books enable kindergarten learners to gain early literacy skills (Ralph, 2016; Critelli, 2011). Electronic textbooks are dynamic and captivating, which motivates students, improved their academic achievements, and it helps teachers who need multiple interventions for exceptional learners (Moody, 2010).  

Special Education

A study conducted among 28 deaf students demonstrated that highest percentage of impact, interest, and enjoyment for students with deaf disabilities stemmed from using the stories on CD-ROM with multimedia of reading cues, such as print, pictures, and sign language (Chinn et al., 2005). Positive outcomes also stemmed from the use of e-books among struggling students as they enhanced the learners’ comprehension (Gonzalez, 2010). Izo, Yurick, and McArrel (2009) established that text -to- speech TTS tools increased reading understanding and performance among high school students with disabilities. Nadia et al. (2014) also found comparable results finding that interactive e-books were an approachable tool for evolving and raising reading skills among students with Dyslexia.

Higher Education

Rahman and Ebied (2015) sought to examine how interactive e-books affect academic achievement and found that the students who used them recorded higher achievement than their counterparts who use printed books. According to Yalman (2015), e-books are more advantageous than hard copy books and highlighted the need to provide e-book with its devices for students to have opportunities of easily using the e-book and deal with it.

Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Using E-Books in K-12 and Higher Education

The greatest advantage associated with technology use is the fact that it helps improve learning outcomes. For instance, it helps learners to grasp languages perfectly as was established by
مصر(2016) who examined the usage of online platforms when teaching Arabic, finding that it ameliorated learning outcomes. In essence, using interactive media strengthened the learners’ confidence and helped them to learn better. E-book learning systems can be augmented with in-built functions such as e-annotation and book marks, content searching, and learning process tracking that can enable leaners to evaluate their progress (Education Technology, 2012).

With the constant increase in rigor with today’s educational goals it has become imperative to focus on students interests and focusing on ways to grab their attention (Unianu & Purcaru, 2014). Leveraging technology helps to break the monotony of traditional learning system as it arrests the attention of students. As Anderson (2015) notes, education comes to life with these hands-on technology enhancements and students are able to gain ownership of their learning by interacting with the lessons.

The integration of ICTs in education effectively replaces the traditional way of teaching, which was teacher- centered, into a new innovative student-centered process, and this greatly affects the education (Amin, n.d.). It enhances the curriculum by, for example, allowing students the opportunity to have access to science curriculum that is 3D while gaining assurance of their technology skills by applying it daily (NTSA, 2008). Moreover, ICT in education creates a suitable opportunity of learning for students with special needs and helps them to overcome some of the difficulties they face (Amin, n.d.). Ultimately, these factors improve learning outcomes considerably.

The reviewed literature makes little mention of the disadvantages of e-books as they mainly address the beneficial outcomes that e-learning systems yield during learning. One particular study that stands out is the one conducted Unianu and Purcaru (2014) who found that e-learning cannot replace the in-person feedback that students typically need from their parents. The other study was carried out by Stickles (2015) who pointed to the possibility of learners who use online platforms lagging their counterparts in terms of performance. Even so, this study cannot be taken as one that provides conclusive evidence because of discrepancies such as the use of different evaluation metrics for the participants.

Recommendations for Different Stakeholders and Future Research

The reviewed studies underscore the importance of using e-books during learning and offer a whole suite of advantages that e-learning platforms import. Even so, there is a dearth of studies that deal extensively with the disadvantages of e-books. There is a need to wade into this area as findings that weigh the prejudicial outcomes associated with e-books will be helpful in charting pragmatic steps for overcoming their challenges.