Cross-Principles in Digital Textbook Use and Development

Recent research on digital textbook use and development suggests that principles may reflect the cross-disciplinary boundaries. There are multiple examples that evidence this idea. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to enrich the theoretical understanding of design and to broaden the empirical research base by adopting a cross-disciplinary focus. The chapter explores the fundamental principles of digital textbooks and describes the power of cross-principles through a new metasystems method, which allows one to synthesize a functional framework consisting from self-regulation, personalization, feedback diversity, clarity, dynamicity and flexibility and ergonomic environments. These principles are assembled from general norms derived from principles of philosophy, pedagogy, psychology, cybernetics, and knowledge management. The use of cross-principles in the learning design of digital textbooks is a relatively new phenomenon, but with great potential to achieve the guaranteed learning outcomes. Conclusions and future research directions are provided at the end.

Didactic Model of eTextbook

This chapter analyses the issue of effective design based on cross-principles. Based on theoretical-practical data, it proposes a new didactical model that reflects both the digital textbook' structure and the processes triggered by the digital textbook. It is argued that there are many instructional system design models, but the didactic model is a conceptualisation of processes based on postmodernism philosophy. The core of the didactical model is the processes for and of cognitive activity, designed as a pedagogical scenarios and managed through externalization, internalization, intermediation and cognition. At all knowledge management phases the personalisation of the digital content can be made on cognitive, affective and psychomotor levels. Conclusions and future research are provided at end.

Pros and Cons of Digital Textbooks Technology

Students do not necessarily enjoy using textbooks. One of the main reasons is that multimodal texts are harder to process by brain patterns. Digital textbooks technology aims to reduce this pitfall, offering multimedia feedback and interactivity as the main features of the powerful learning environment. There are two ways: a) using and developing the digital textbook as a pedagogical resource and b) using and developing digital textbook as a learning tool. The first way offers speed of finding, purchasing, downloading, as well as digital reading. The second way adds the power of assembling digital content through representation in a person's own manner as well as group development of content. Educational outcomes in a digital textbook learning environment are better than in scholastic models. This chapter presents pros and cons of the digital textbook technology in concept of postmodernism philosophy. The role of the digital textbook technology for learning is proved.

Educational Ideal for the New Wave of Textbooks

In this chapter, postmodernism features of the educational ideal (professionalism, planetary thinking and cultural pluralism) have been analysed. The general educational outcome is that the new ideal is automatically assured with a new wave of textbooks. Self-regulated learning is the primary focus of this research. It is argued that new textbooks provide more opportunities for teaching, learning and assessment. Even if the teacher is an adviser, administrator, agent provocateur, coach, moderator, observer, and the learner(s) is a knowledge worker, the new digital textbooks are not only the source of content, but also effective tools for learning. For guaranteed learning outcomes, digital textbooks should be designed according to the MetaSystem Learning Design approach. Having established this theoretical framework, the author discusses how to deal with seven laws of globalized pedagogic process. The purpose of the chapter is to elucidate the significance of new educational ideal for the new wave of digital textbooks. Conclusions and future research directions are provided at the end.

Affordances in Digital Textbook Use and Development

The affordances of digital textbooks go beyond using textbooks in the four walls of a traditional classroom. With digital textbooks, users can swipe the text to scroll; increase/decrease size of text and images and change brightness options; view and read downloaded information; interact with 3D models and images; make notes, search topics, follow hyperlinks, take quizzes, self-regulate learning and “synthesize” own textbooks and library, etc. However, there are some constraints such as overload of working memory, depending on digital devices' functionality, etc. The correlation between affordances and constraints is analyzed through identification and description of eight didactic systems with platforms maintaining learner-centered environment, interactive feedback, social media, user interface design, and desired results. In this chapter, the concept of “affordances” as a way of strengthening eight possible models explored, called “didactic systems”. The used methods are “thematic evaluation” and “comparative analysis”. The conclusion and future research is provided at the end.

Good Practices to Substantiate Digital Learning with Textbooks

At the core of any learning process is a didactic triangle with three basic components: teacher, student and didactics. Globalization places the didactic triangle in an open learning environment. The “open” didactic triangle can be considered a conceptual tool for designing new learning models, including those for digital textbooks' use and development. These textbooks are more than digitalized versions of printed textbooks. Connected to the Internet/Intranet and with advanced technologies, digital textbooks offer more freedom for teaching, learning and assessment as well as connectivity, adaptivity, flexibility and interactivity. Moreover, digital textbooks have well-established psycho-pedagogical foundations. The post-modernism philosophy indicates at keeping good practices, namely visual instruction, audiovisual instruction, programmed instruction and computer aided instruction (assessment). This chapter emphasizes the effectiveness of good practices and concludes with a call for the future research of the best solutions in the area of digital textbooks use and development.

Assessment in Digital Textbook Use and Development

Assessment with immediate feedback is an innovative strategy in digital textbook use and development. There are two forms: assessment of textbook quality and assessment of learning within the digital textbook learning environment. Digital forms of assessment ensure the speed, dynamicity and quality of students' achievement and influences how students focus and approach their learning. The purpose of this chapter is to emphasize the role of assessment for digital textbooks use and development by evidencing pre-assessment specifics, formative and summative computerized assessment. The author summarizes categories of paperless item(s), student learning patterns and functions of assessment. The role of immediate feedback for self-regulated learning is emphasized. The results indicate that MetaSystems Learning Design could be focused on immediate and delayed feedback. Lastly, after summarizing ideas, a future study topic is suggested that may promise interesting lines of research.

Clarifying the Confusing Terminology of Digital Textbooks

Generically, a digital textbook serves as a source of knowledge in a digital learning environment. It can be taken anytime and anywhere on almost any devices optimized for digital learning. Users of digital textbooks are teacher(s) and student(s), including life-long learners who use digital devices for learning. The recent challenges indicate that digital textbook use and development have become a hot area of cross-disciplinary research. The research problems arise, first of all, from controversies between traditional curricula and access to global content, that deals with the availability of more diverse forms of information, new technologies, interactive assessment and open source textbooks. However, the “digital textbook” concept does not yet have one established meaning. Rather, multiple partly consistent, partly contradictory definitions and usages exist. This chapter provides a framework for clarifying the confusing terminology of digital textbook initiatives. To arrive at this framework, the author explores the interdependences between textbook, digital (text) book and educational software concepts and proposes a synthetic definition.

Plagiarism, Licensing, and the Proper Use of Digital Textbooks

This chapter explores ways to avoid plagiarism in digital textbooks' use and development. Traditionally, the plagiarism recommendation refers to books and articles. How about textbooks? However, to avoid plagiarism it is important to make sure that licensing in digital textbooks' use and development is properly used. For licensing to be a benefit for learning, it is important to note that it may impose additional costs. This chapter reflects and includes in discussion the issue on licensing, specifically the Creative Common (CC) license of open educational resources. Secondly, it considers how the Creative Common License could improve the proper use of digital textbooks. Finally, it explores how the use of digital tools can allow students to learn more effectively.

Patterns and Metapatterns in the Elementary Didactic Units

The effectiveness of digital textbooks' content depends on how the brain processes, stores and recovers data (metadata), information and knowledge. This is the way to find an understanding of actions in hidden electrochemical signals, as well as the body energy and quantum relationships. It was expected that data are “synthesized” by each student on the base on hermeneutic dialogue assure the best brain structures, and, as a result, adaptation and accommodation in diversity of environments. This chapter reviews issues, contradictions and problems surrounding metasystems learning design of the elementary didactic units. The author argues that it is possible to maintain the potential of the learner (intellect, emotion and energy) with a self-regulated mechanism and, hence, facilitate cognition and metacognition. Future research directions and conclusion are provided at the end of the chapter.