Are digital textbooks beneficial to educational system?

• While e-textbooks have been widely adopted in the educational sector, they are still only used at the college level; all other education systems continue to rely on conventional textbooks.
• Gap/Unsuccessful Repair Attempts Problem: Getting the updates to include e-textbooks to students has been a slow process due to a shortage of education funds accessible to most school systems.
• What they're doing vs. what you're doing: For educational institutions, it was seen as a way to reduce the expense of delivering necessary educational materials to students. They had access to books, diagrams, printouts, and a variety of other materials that they wouldn't have had access to with conventional textbooks. I do feel that this is a very convenient way for teachers, professors, and students to have quick access to these materials, although not everyone has the capabilities to have internet access in their homes or phones. This is the one shortcoming of the e-textbooks.
• Your Proposal: If e-textbooks are going to be implemented as the main source of learning tools in our educational systems. There should be an alternative and inexpensive way for students without ways to access e-textbooks, such as free traditional textbooks to take home while not at school where there is the use of computers and tablets.
• What will your paper show: The benefits and the disadvantages that come with these recent changes with e-textbooks. That although this is to be a positive change there are still some negative aspects that need to be addressed.
• Conclusion: E-textbooks are convenient and easily accessed when that accessibility is available to those with the means. It does give the educational institutes the ability to broaden their way of teaching but they need to be able to accommodate to the needs of each and every student.

Background

Broader context: Traditional Books vs eBooks, ways to cut costs, application majorly at college level, Future of textbooks

A. Specific or local contexts: eBooks use in college level, challenges of eBooks, Need for alternatives

B. Words/Jargons: Usability, multi-purpose, marking text, hurdles

Research Question and Answer

Research Question: What are benefits and disadvantages of using eBooks in schools?

A. Research Answer:

1. Why are you interested in the Topic: The widespread of technology have led to schools resulting to use of eBooks in a bid to save costs of purchasing traditional textbooks. However, I have observed that this has majorly been implemented in colleges while the lesser institutions are still using traditional textbooks due to numerous barriers. In my research, I realized many researcher on the subject have only compared eBooks and textbooks but none has explored implementation challenges and prosed solutions.

2. What is Topic About: My topic focuses on the use of eBooks in schools. Colleges have been in the frontline in applying the use of eBooks at the expense of traditional textbooks. I will be focusing on benefits and challenges that have come with adoption of eBooks and how they can be handled.

3. Your Answer to the Question: The high costs of textbooks have led to seeking of alternative solutions. EBooks have partly solved this problem but they also comes with some challenges as they require availability of some infrastructure which may not be accessible to everyone.

Literature Review

Overview of Literature themes and trends:

1. The general topic of discussion for this paper is the whether eBooks are beneficial in learning. The general agreement among researchers is that eBooks is a solution to the cost challenge brought by the traditional textbooks.

2. Majority of scholars tend to discuss the advantages of eBooks and how they can be utilized effectively in improving learning outcomes of students.

A. Specific Literature:

1. Argument of first Scholar: Martin, (2012) explores how eBook have been adopted widely. This has been facilitated by technological advancements including use off mobile devices as eBook readers as well as tablet computers. Martin argues that the e-Textboooks have provided a viable alternative to heavy and expensive printed traditional textbooks and resources.

2. Argument of second Scholar: Walling, (2014) argues that eBooks are interactive as opposed to textbooks and printed resources and therefore improves the learning outcomes of students. Walling further argues the eBooks are beneficial also provide the advantages of using gadgets such as smartphones and tables computers. They also allows sharing of notes over the internet.

3. Argument of third Scholar: Bossaller and Kammer, (2014) explains that e Textbooks are both texts and tools that provide the textbooks companies with a chance to expand the services they provide. The eBooks according to Bossaller and Kammer are beneficial in allowing the student and the teacher interact with the publisher’s material.

B. Comparing and Contrasting Arguments

1. Both the Martin and Walling advances the argument that eBooks improves the outcome of the student’s learning through providing a channel for interaction with the study material. This view is further supported by Bosaller and Kammer who argue that textbook companies are able to expand their services and increase student’s interaction with the study material.

2. Walling (2014) differs from Bosaller and Kammer (2014) in that Walling argues that eBooks are already benefiting the student through the use of many interactive tools. Bosaller and Kammer on the other hand argues that there is still room for expansion to find tools for improving learning outcomes. Martin (2012) on the other hand argues that eBooks have already spread far and wide and have attained success.

3. Martin addresses the widespread of e-Textbooks and tools that have facilitated this widespread. Walling on the other hand addresses how interactive eBooks are in comparison with traditional textbooks and how this assist in improving the learning outcome of students. Bossaller and Kammer, (2014) addresses the benefits of eBooks from the perspective of publishers explaining how they provide an opportunity for expanding services.

C. Identifying Gaps in Research:

1. Despite the researchers discussing the use of e-Textbooks they do not address the challenges being faced in the implementation. The researchers overlook the fact that eBooks have majorly being adopted in colleges and not in other institutions. They also fail to appreciate the infrastructure needed for implementation of e-textbooks may not be accessible to all making it difficult to adopt.

2. Martin and Walling appears to have overlooked the disadvantages of eBooks while Bosaller and Kammer addresses the challenges but not sufficiently.

3. Walling incorrectly make the assumption that providing an interactive avenues leads to success of the student or positive outcomes. Bosaller and Kammer inaccurately assume that always publishing companies will benefit by producing e-books as opposed to physically printed books.

VI. Information Synthesis

Intro Paragraph

1. Hook: According to Martin (2012), in 2008-09 academic year, college student spent on average approximately $1,000 in purchase of textbooks.

2. Point One: The high cost of textbooks and other printed resources have led to many institutions encouraging the use of eBooks.

3. Point Two: Use of eBooks is often plagued with lack of access to resources such as iPads, smartphones or computers necessary for this use.

4. Thesis: Use of eBooks in learning reduces costs and inefficiencies of using traditional textbooks. However, eBooks also faces challenge as they rely on technological infrastructure which may not be accessible to everyone.

B. Body Paragraph one:

1. Topic sentence: With the use of traditional textbooks, student ends up spending so much on study materials.

2. Primary Sentence: Students and their guardians have been struggling to afford so many text books that are required in their schools.

3. Secondary sentence: Coming of eBooks may be a relieve to these parents as they are relatively cheap.

4. Concluding sentence: Therefore, eBooks may see widespread as parents and students attempt to save costs.

C. Concluding Paragraph:

1. Topic sentence: Since the cost of purchasing text books is expensive, most schools have come up with a way of providing eBooks which can be accessed at different locations by their students.

2. Primary sentence: However, the challenge of accessibility has come up where some student are not able to access the eBooks.

3. Primary sentence: Despite accessibility in many platforms, there are still some student who cannot manage any of the channels.

4. Concluding sentence: it is therefore important that an alternative inexpensive way for student without access to eBooks to be created.

VII. Justification and Establishment of Credibility

Why your intervention is necessary: Since most schools are adopting use of eBooks, it is important to be cautious of the needs of the minority children who may not be able to access the eBooks. A strategy has to be devised to ensure even as schools take advantage of technology and reduced cost of learning materials, the needs of all are taken care of.

A. what is unique about your argument: Unlike previous researchers, my argument focusses on both positive and negative effects of e-Textbooks.

B. Why should the reader trust you: My argument will be built on research and application of logic.

C: What is Your credibility as a writer: My argument will be purely based on factual evidence and will desist from use of emotions in supporting my assertions.

D. What makes you Authority for what you are writing: I have done extensive research on this topic and have previously written about it in another platform.

VIII. Argumentative Framework

How will you argue your points: I will argue my points using the existing research on the subject and applying deductive reasoning. I will also use logos and pathos to convince my audience.

A. Call to Action: we should adopt the use of technology and eBooks to save costs but measures should be taken to ensure those few who cannot access eBooks also are not excluded from the learning process.

B. what you hope to prove: My aim is to prove it is possible to take advantage of eBooks while at the same time mitigating the negative impacts that can result.

C. How you Will use evidence: I will use statics available on use of eBooks from various institutions.

IX. Development of argument:

A. Starting point: Americans spend a lot in purchase of books and learning material. (supporting facts).

B. Second point: Use of eBooks is likely to save a lot of costs that would be incurred in purchase of textbooks. (facts and examples)

C. Third Point: Not all people can access eBooks. (facts and inferences)

D. Forth point: there are strategies that can be implemented to help those who cannot access eBooks (examples).

E. Thesis: Use of eBooks in learning reduces costs and inefficiencies of using traditional textbooks. However, eBooks also faces challenge as they rely on technological infrastructure which may not be accessible to everyone.

References

Bossaller, J., & Kammer, J. (2014). Faculty views on eTextbooks: A narrative study. College Teaching, 62(2), 68-75.

Martin, R. (2012). The road ahead: eBooks, eTextbooks and publishers' electronic resources. In ascilite.

Walling, D. R. (2014). Are eTextbooks More Than Books?. In Designing Learning for Tablet Classrooms(pp. 55-60). Springer International Publishing.