1. E-books for teaching and learning
In Brief – Tuesday 1st May, 1.15 – 2 p.m.
With Lyn Lall, Steve Saffhill, Paul Miller (RSC Northern),
Grazyna Kuczera and Masniza Sore (Northampton College)
Go to View > Header & Footer to edit
www.jiscrsc.ac.uk/eastmidlands May 3, 2012 | slide 1
RSCs – Stimulating and supporting innovation in learning
2. Aims
Understand the benefits of using e-books in
teaching and learning
To be aware of:
– sources of free e-books
– JISC FE free e-books collection
How to promote e-books and understand some of
the issues/barriers to using e-books
Hear about the impact of a project using Kindle e-
book readers with adult learners to support literacy
How to create simple e-books
Where to get support to develop the use of e-books
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3. What is your role?
A. Manager
B. Team leader
C. Teacher
D. Learning support
E. Business support
Lyn Lall May 3, 2012 | slide 3
4. How widely embedded is the use of e-books in the
curriculum in your organisation?
A. Widely used and embedded in the curriculum
B. Pockets of good practice in some curriculum
areas
C. Hardly used at all by learners and/or staff
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5. Features and key facts about e-books
to support teaching and learning
Access 24/7
Flexible delivery
E-books support accessibility
Can work on a number of devices including mobile
devices, laptops, PCs and dedicated e-book readers
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6. Bookmarks and key word searches
Portability
Hyperlinking e.g. from VLE
Copy and paste (with citation)
E-books may be one solution to support an
institutional 'green ICT' strategy
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7. E-books and multimedia
Depending on the e-book file format and target
device, in addition to text, digital media use may
include:
– Audio for 'text to speech'
– Audio books
– Video
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8. Advantages of e-books
E-books can:
– Reduce costs (purchasing)
– Be sustainable
– Be personalised for reading/accessibility
E-books can’t be:
– Overdue
– Lost
– Damaged/defaced
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9. A few quotes from an LRC manager
“If a tutor wants the students to
look at a specific diagram in the e-
book, they can link directly to that
page. Some students may not be
able to find the diagram by
locating the page, so the e-books
really widen access for those who
struggle with traditional books.
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10. “It can also be daunting for some students to
search for a book in the library, and some
learners don’t want to be seen reading a book
associated with their studies. With viewing a
book on a PC or mobile device, they could be
looking at anything. There’s a bit more
credibility for them and they are using
technology that they are used to on a daily
basis.”
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11. Delivering e-books
E-books can be distributed to desktop computers,
mobile devices and e-book readers in a number of
ways :
– E-book online stores, publishers, and repositories e.g.
Project Gutenburg (free), Google books, Apple, Amazon
– Simple download
– Apps e.g. Kindle, Stanza, e-reader
– E-mail
– Library e.g. JISC free e-books for FE collection
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13. JISC FE e-books collection
Worcester college looks at how e-books can be used
to support their teaching in:
BTEC National Diploma in Sports
Fitness
Travel and Tourism
http://vimeo.com/6592468
May 3, 2012 | slide 13
14. Why aren’t students using e-books?
“the vast majority of students would choose
electronic over print if it were available and if
better tools along with fewer restrictions were
offered.” Ebrary survey (2011)
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15. JISC FE e-books collection
Northampton College Library – how we promote
e-books:
Induction
Information & Study Skills
Display
Leaflets
E-resources Review
Library website
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16. What are the barriers to using e-books
in your organisation?
Either raise a hand to speak or type a response in
the chat pane
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17. Potential barriers to using e-books
Awareness raising of resources with
teaching staff and learners
Accessing resources
Induction/training to support
accessibility features and functionality
of e-books
Infrastructure/firewall issues
Authentication issues (Athens,
Shibboleth)
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19. e-book reader apps
Readers/Apps
– Stanza
– Kindle
– Kobo
– Ebook reader
– Google play books
– i-books
– Shakespeare in bits (ipad/pod/phone app)
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20. Suggestions for use in teaching and
learning
English teachers
– Shakespeare's works and out of copyright classics are
available free to download on to tablets/smartphones
Opportunities for learner annotation and
collaboration
Accessibility tools on e-reader apps on
Smartphones
Link to e-books in your VLE courses e.g. via
course reading lists
Make resources available on learners devices via
Wattpad
May 3, 2012 | slide 20
21. Kindle case study with Adult Literacy
students
RSC Northern initiated funded and supported an
action research project with Newcastle City Learning
(ACL) to:
investigate the effectiveness of e-book readers for
literacy learners.
explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of this
type of device.
Project outcomes are captured in this video from the
case study on the Excellence gateway
http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/20459
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22. Wattpad – a simple e-book creation tool
Teachers
Go to Wattpad.com
Create an account
Click on upload
Create a new story (either cut and paste from Word
or use upload a .txt file
Add useful tags to help find your “story” later
Save and publish
Share with learners via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter,
Tumblr
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23. Wattpad for learners
Learners
Search for Wattpad on your mobile phone app store
or market place
Set up link to your Wattpad account
Tell learners the tag to find your resources e.g
PTLLS
May 3, 2012 | slide 23
24. Creating your own e-books – convert
content from and to different formats
Calibre –http://calibre-ebook.com/ hard disk
•Input Formats: CBZ, CBR, CBC, CHM, DOC, DOCX, DJVU, EPUB, FB2, HTML,
HTMLZ, LIT, LRF, MOBI, ODT, PDF, PRC, PDB, PML, RB, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT,
TXTZ
•Output Formats: EPUB, FB2, OEB, LIT, LRF, MOBI, HTMLZ, PDB, PML, RB,
PDF, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ
2epub http://www.2epub.com/ web service
•Input formats: doc, docx, epub, fb2, html, lit, lrf, mobi, odt, pdb, pdf, prc,
rtf, txt.
•Output formats: epub, fb2, lit, lrf, mobi
i-books author
May 3, 2012 | slide 24
25. Next steps
This session was delivered as an In Brief online
webinar. A recording of the session and additional
resources can be found at http://
moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=233
Link to Moodle resources on e-books and a
recording of the session will be sent by e-mail to
delegates
For more information and support contact;
Lynette.lall@rsc-em.ac.uk
Next In Brief - QR codes – 12th June
May 3, 2012 | slide 25
Notes de l'éditeur
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Features and key facts about e-books to support teaching and learning Although there are a vast array of e-books and means with which to view them, there are a number of commonalities and considerations worth highlighting: Access 24/7 - e-books potentially remove limited access issues to key texts that can be a major problem for print books as they are available 24/7- good for part time and distance learners to access remotely E-books are easier to locate in comparison to hard copy books Many institution library catalogues now offer e-book versions of some of their titles and journals and e-books open the door for a much greater range of books than the library could physically manage E-books can support in-class information retrieval by broadening the learning resource range E-books support accessibility in terms of being an alternative to print books and they have accessible aids to improve readability e.g. changing text size and contrast Flexible delivery – e-books can be located (via hyperlinking) in many places such as course materials and the VLE, offering access at appropriate points Teachers can produce their own e-books as learning resources E-books can work on desktop computers and mobile devices – note that many devices are included in the 'mobile' category e.g. laptops, mobile phones and dedicated e-book readers such as the Kindle. For clarity devices like the Kindle are normally identified as 'dedicated e-book readers'. Usage can be tracked which helps catalogue managers manage expectations and resources such as which books to buy, license or remove Portable – many e-books can be stored on a single device and taken with the owner or borrower which further supports access Hyperlinking within an e-book can increase the flexibility of topics covered from one source E-books may be one solution to support an institutional 'green ICT' strategy May 3, 2012
Copy and Paste E-books enable users to copy and paste pieces of text, and images into their own documents, which can save time, improve efficiency and accuracy of information. The Ebrary platform allows copy and paste with automatic citation. Accessibility Digital materials e.g. e-books delivered through a learning platform/Virtual Learning Environments can be far more accessible to blind and visually impaired (VI) students than hard copy, unmanipulable equivalents, e.g. handouts. There is a range of assistive technologies such as screen readers, and the Ebrary platform is compatible with screen reader technologies including DAISY and JAWS. In addition, the Ebrary user interface has integrated text to speech functionality. May 3, 2012
As you might expect, text is the dominant factor in an e-book. However, digital media can often be used too, depending on the e-book file format and target device. In addition to text, digital media use may include: Cover image (often also re-used for thumbnails) Illustrations (diagrams and decoration) Audio for 'text to speech' - normally an e-book reader feature Audio books – audio versions that can use a range of voices and languages Video – used much like images to provide additional context or advertising The suitability of different types of digital media, format and sizing again depends on which target file format(s) and device(s) are being supported. e.g. i-books author allows importing of multimedia Digital images are well supported across e-book readers of all types. However regarding audio and video, at the time of writing in 2011, it is only recent mobile devices that provide good support for using audio and video within an e-book. May 3, 2012
1 copy available to many e.g. course text book for 60 students (cost savings) May 3, 2012
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Examples of e-book stores and repositories E-books for FE Project (free) Provides access to a core collection of e-books aimed at the FE community. JISC Collections (paid and free) A membership organisation that supports the provision of digital content for education and research in the UK. Project Gutenberg (free) Project Gutenberg is the place where you can download over 33,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPhone, Android or other portable device. Google Books (paid and free) Provides access to millions of free and public domain Google eBooks. Each major mobile operating system has its own native app store that will allow you to view and/or purchase/download e-book apps and e-books. Examples of app stores are: Apple app store Amazon ebooks Android Market May 3, 2012
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Libraries have a big challenge in providing clear access routes to e-content. Discovery needs to be made a simple as possible About 3000 e-book titles are available free of charge to every FE college in the UK, under unlimited concurrent access. Unlimited, simultaneous user access means that unlike the print world students do not have to wait for the hard copies to be returned by other students or borrow under short loan conditions. The e-books are available under the terms of the JISC model licence e.g. Staff and students can incorporate parts in teaching learning materials whether electronic or paper. This includes course packs, presentations, VLEs, mobile devices, project work and much more. The e-books in the collection are hosted via the ebrary e-books platform Automatic citation – You can cut and paste the link into your VLE so it takes the user straight to the information they need. The e-books are available under the terms of the JISC model licence so you can cut and paste, print and use parts of the books in your VLE’s, coursepacks, presentations and more to support teaching and learning. COUNTER usage statistics via your admin portal Pricing for titles is offered under unlimited, simultaneous user access, meaning that an unlimited number of users can use the same title as the same time, ideal when teaching in a classroom situation. All of the titles are offered in perpetuity meaning that you will have access to these titles through the e-books for FE licence through to 31st August 2014, after this date, e-books within the collection will be available after this date but an access fee may apply. Alternatively colleges will be able to request an archive of the full text of the book title(s) purchased, without further charge. The archive will be supplied to colleges in an electronic medium mutually agreed between the ebrary and JISC Collections. Continuing archival access and use will be subject to the terms and conditions of the e-books for FE Sub-Licence Agreement . Anthony Beal, Section Leader for Learning Resources at West Cheshire College describes the impact of the ‘e-books for FE’ project on the way students on the Public Services course engaged with text books. “ There are key parts of the core textbook that are critical for the course but the physical copies would be out on loan, reference copies would be stolen and even when they got hold of the textbook, many learners lacked confidence in effectively using tables of content and indexes. Since using the e-book system we’ve had up to 2,000 hits a month; a huge increase from the 20 physical copies the library used to hold. The students are much more confident in finding information they need in electronic format; the e-book platform has significantly reduced barriers to engagement.” 4 minute vimeo video with 3 practical applications linked to Moodle Links on Moodle e-books course for how to import e-books collections into ebrary and Heritage. Also Heritage plugin for Moodle May 3, 2012
Why aren’t students using e-books? Mindshift , Nov 7 Some speculation on reasons why students aren’t using e-books following a survey by the library e-book provider eBrary , which found that students’ e-book usage has not increased significantly in the past 3 years, although consumer e-book sales are up 160%. However, according to the eBrary survey, “ the vast majority of students would choose electronic over print if it were available and if better tools along with fewer restrictions were offered .” The article provides a number of reasons for student resistance to e-books. Underneath all the reasons though is the failure of the commercial publishing industry to redesign to the needs of digital learning and their fear of losing what has been a very lucrative business model. It’s just a matter of time before someone comes up with a better, alternative model that will eventually destroy the current publishing model, which I give five years at most. May 3, 2012
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Nearly all ebook sites offer a mix of for-pay commercial content and out-of-copyright, free ebooks. Many devices come pre-loaded with perennial favorites such as Pride and Prejudice or David Copperfield . Nearly all such free ebooks (and many dubiously re-branded public domain ebooks put up for sale) are derived from Project Gutenberg, founded in 1971 by Michael Hart. Project Gutenberg, the work of thousands of volunteers, has much to teach about the capacity for collaborative transcribing, proofing, and formatting. May 3, 2012
There is a variety of ebook reader software available for the iPhone and iPod touch, with a large range of texts on offer. The ability to read books at a convenient time and place, and add books, both commercial and freely available, while ‘on the go’ can be very useful. The most suitable application will depend largely on the requirements of the individual user, but the range of usability and accessibility features available means that most users will find an application to suit them and be able benefit from the convenience offered by ebooks. I’ve listed readers for Apple devices which are also available for Androids May 3, 2012
Potential for e.g English teacher to have classics and Shakespeare resources available on laptops/learners own devices to use in/out of class Collaboration on texts using e.g conceptboard/crocodoc/titan pad Accessibility options on Smartphone to change background and text colours, font size and style, Students walking away from a lesson can carry the entire set of notes for that session on their phone for use in the library learning space via the Wattpad.com application (this allows free eBooks to be created by cutting and pasting from Word and works on all smart phone platforms). Wattpad - Simple Mobile eBook Creation Tool Try going to wattpad.com and search for PTLLS Word of caution – some racy publications – e-safety issues? Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and learning objects Many students and teachers gain access to electronic resources through virtual learning environments ( VLEs , which have been adopted by many colleges and universities across the UK to enhance learners’ teaching and learning experience. Links to e-books from VLE’s and learning objects, for example through course reading lists are an effective way of encouraging usage. The licensing terms allow students and teachers to cut and paste parts into the VLE, however insitutions who wish to track usage of e-book parts may wish to embed links. May 3, 2012
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Try going to wattpad.com and search for PTLLS or mobile nuggets May 3, 2012