Learning Ecosystems

From Kno’s blog:

So how did this all get started? The eTextbook has been available for almost a decade now, yet has not taken off. This was our starting point – we asked the question – why haven’t eTextbooks taken off?

Students are immersed in the digital world, with their computers, access to the web, and social networking on their phones. But, most of this is an “add-on” to their 18 (or more) pounds of a physical textbooks. Textbooks are heavy, costly, and awkward to carry around, but still they are the central reference source for majority of students. Why is that? Why hasn’t a digital device taken off, providing students with a lighter, cheaper, and more functional alternative?

Answering this question was simple: talk to the students, and let them tell us what’s going on. So, that’s exactly what we did, and the answer was surprisingly clear. Students have a “relationship” with their textbooks and build their studying habits around them. Things like seeing both pages in a two page spread, the way they hold their books, using a highlighter, writing on sticky notes they’ve placed on a page, even putting their finger in the book to look something up while holding their place. Lighter and cheaper is a good start, but not enough. It’s this relationship with the textbooks that needs to be carried over to the digital world.

Also see:
Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on — from Engadget