Learning how to learn from digital textbooks: Evidence-informed recommendations for instructors and students.

Abstract

Digital textbooks have increased in popularity and are becoming a standard part of higher education. The digital textbooks of today are qualitatively different from the early days of converting print texts to pdfs for students to read. Currently, many digital textbooks are designed and developed in a digital environment allowing for the inclusion of interactive features to promote engagement and learning. Digital textbooks have the unique advantage of using technology to capitalize on evidence-informed principles from learning science to create a product that can improve learning outcomes. In this article, I draw on my experience as an author of a digital-first textbook, long-time instructor, and scholarship of teaching and learning researcher to discuss how students can successfully learn from digital textbooks. I explain how learning science is used to develop engaging, evidence-based textbooks and how students can take advantage of these features. Finally, I provide a set of guidelines for instructors with respect to the implementation and use of digital textbooks. When instructors and students use a digital textbook in a way consistent with how it was developed, the textbook can become an integral part of a successful course.

The acceptance and effectiveness of digital learning technologies: A detailed empirical investigation in Islamic study classrooms

“…Digital textbooks are the latest innovations in digital learning platforms and are known as "e-textbooks," "electronic textbooks" or "digital textbooks" (Kim, Shin, Noh, & Kim, 2022). The digital textbook system has evolved based on the notorious application of personal electronic devices as learning platforms (Hudson, 2021). Digital textbooks display videos and infographics so students "can engage with such textbooks, respond, create, negotiate, co-construct and share with other members of the learning community" (Knight, 2015).…”

“…Previous studies have not provided a comparison of multiple educational technologies in a single study (Apedaile, 2020;Hudson, 2021;Mu'alimin, 2019;Sun, Chen, Tao, & Liu, 2019). Additionally, Sprenger and Schwaninger (2021) have recently assessed the above-mentioned digital technologies.…”

Teaching psychology.

“…The teaching of psychology continues to benefit from the digital revolution and its accompanying innovations. Danae Hudson from Missouri State University provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview of digital textbooks in her work "Learning How to Learn From Digital Textbooks: Evidence-Informed Recommendations for Instructors and Students" (Hudson, 2021). The look and feel of digital textbooks have advanced far beyond the conversion of physical textbooks into PDF or e-pub documents, and savvy instructors can leverage concepts from learning science and integrate these features to create complete learning systems.…”