Authors:
Jeffrey Donnell
;
William Singhose
and
Arto Kivila
Affiliation:
The Georgia Institute of Technology, United States
Keyword(s):
Interactive Textbook, iPad, Touchscreen Computer, iBooks, Science Education, Engineering Education.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Authoring Tools and Content Development
;
Computer-Supported Education
;
e-Learning
;
Information Technologies Supporting Learning
;
Learning/Teaching Methodologies and Assessment
;
Pedagogy Enhancement with e-Learning
Abstract:
Touchscreen computers hold great promise as educational tools. Many universities, high schools and elementary schools are working to create curricula that exploit these devices. An important part of this work is the development of textbooks that move away from the static display of words and figures to include interactive components such as videos and interactive simulations. We present such an interactive textbook, developed for an undergraduate course in mechanical engineering. We describe the course for which it was developed and the interactive components of the book. Student evaluations of the textbook are presented and discussed. Finally, we offer suggestions for additional steps that can improve interactive textbooks for use on tablet computers.