Do you remember dragging your books from class to home and back? Or when your textbook pages were covered in sticky notes until they fell off somewhere and were never found again because taking notes in the margins resulted in a suspension and possibly a fine?
As technology advances and more textbooks become available online, these instances are becoming less common. This article will go over the benefits of using eBooks in education.
12 Reasons Why eBooks Are Better For Studying
- Improved Learning
- Differentiated Instruction
- Simple Accessibility
- Device Compatibility
- Convenient Storage
- Synching Audiobooks is Simple
- Representation Via Visuals
- Simplified Search
- Economic Benefits
- Environmentally Friendly
- Beneficial For Reading Impaired
- Ideal For Online Learning
Improved Learning
Modern learners, primarily millennials and younger, view much of their surroundings through a screen. Their brains have evolved to learn in this manner.
Because students learn more effectively when they are interested in and comfortable with how content is delivered, incorporating technology into the learning process can be beneficial for various reasons.
Differentiated Instruction
All students learn differently, and eBooks help instructors use the most recent best teaching techniques, such as differentiation strategies.
Teachers can choose titles that are leveled for the appropriate skill levels of their different and even individual students by having access to an eBook library.
Simple Accessibility
Have you ever heard the term “out-of-stock” when it comes to eBooks? No? It’s never happened before. One of the key advantages of an eBook is its portability. All you need is a website to immediately access the desired book.
Device Compatibility
If you already have the book downloaded, you can make copies and transfer them to whatever device you have. Cloud storage is also helpful for quickly recovering an e-book if it accidentally gets deleted.
Convenient Storage
Another reason for their popularity is their ease of storing them. Because a physical book takes up a lot of physical space to keep, you can only hold a limited number of books for an entire class in a room.
On the other hand, eBooks let you download hundreds of titles and save them to your device or, more effectively, a hard drive or memory card.
On the plus side, these books take up very little storage space.
Syncing Audiobooks is Simple
Syncing eBooks and audiobooks are a breeze. Many existing eBooks already include audiobook functionality, catering to students with special needs.
And, even if your general students are on the move, they can still learn. All they need to do now is unwind, connect their headphones to their mobile device, and listen to their audiobook.
Representation Via Visuals
eBooks are ideal for students who learn best visually. eBooks include visual aids such as charts and tables. Research has shown that students learn and retain more effectively when given supporting visuals.
Simplified Search
Another benefit of e-books that a traditional book does not have is the ease with which they can be searched. Even if your e-book has thousands of pages, you can find a specific page quickly by searching for a specific phrase.
You don’t have to sift through a book to find the required information. The search tool can be helpful for students, especially when reviewing for exams.
Economic Benefits
eBooks are less expensive to purchase than traditional printed books. It is less expensive, which benefits college students who cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on books, and for K-12 districts whose budgets are always constrained.
As a result, you can make the most of your limited funds by purchasing e-books rather than physical books.
Environmentally Friendly
Most of us enjoy holding fresh-from-the-press hardcover books. However, there is a cost in terms of the environment. On the other hand, eBooks emit significantly less carbon dioxide than traditional book publishing, which is important to most students.
Beneficial For Reading Impaired
E-books can assist people with reading difficulties such as dyslexia or visual impairments by allowing them to change the font size and line spacing. According to a recent study, when people with dyslexia read on an e-reader rather than on paper, they read more successfully and easily.
Ideal for Online Learning
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a complete overhaul of educational resource delivery. When courses were moved online and resources had to be accessible off-campus, schools had to put more faith in digital solutions. eBooks were one solution!
EBooks were an excellent replacement for traditional print texts during the COVID-19 crisis or other courses conducted remotely. They enabled students to obtain books when school bookstores and retail outlets were closed.
The most obvious solution is to make these books available in digital format, which students can access from their homes or anywhere else.
This approach is similar to how many schools have approached course-related software. Licensing agreements for lab-use software have been expanded to allow students and teachers to download the required software to their own devices.
Providing digital copies of course-required texts could provide similar benefits.
Final Verdict
Some even believe that using eBooks in the classroom has negative consequences. Increased screen time and internet distractions are two examples.
There’s no denying that we all have a responsibility to keep things in perspective regarding technology.
However, for today’s learners, both on- and off-screen involvement is critical, and with the proper control, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
Astria Digital Library is here to set you up with everything you need to get your academics or your institution to another level: Sign up today and get unlimited access to a vast collection of reading materials for less than the price of a single book!
For any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us or find the right plan for your needs here.
