E-books, Literacy, Devices,
and School Libraries
@noshelfrequired
Sue
Polanka
Wright
State
University
Libraries
No Shelf
Required®
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Topics of Conversation
 Student Learning and eBooks
 Principles of Learning
 National Reading Panel Report
 Studies on eBooks and Learning
 E or P?
 Comprehension or distraction?
 Eye strain
 Examples of eBooks & devices in school libraries
 Digital Textbooks
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Disclaimer
I am a librarian, I am not a teacher
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
The Digital Shift has an Impact on
Libraries
Communities
Schools
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Student Learning and
eBooks
From No Shelf Required: E-Books in Libraries, Chapter 2
by Susan Berg and Jackie Collier
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Immersion
Response
Employment
Demonstration
Camborne‟s Eight
Principles of Learning
Approximations
Engagement
Expectations
Responsibility
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
eBooks can employ all eight
conditions for learning
 Demonstrations with animation
 Vocabulary selection, puzzles, recall questions
 Learners try different responses; thinking is validated
 Immediate feedback provided
 Learners have a choice; take responsibility
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
National Reading Panel Report
Phonemic
awareness
Comprehension
NRP
2000
Vocabulary
Phonics
Fluency
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Phonemic Awareness & Phonics
 Sounds and letters representing
sounds
 Read-aloud books
 Highlighting words when reading
 Matching pictures to beginning
sounds and letters
 Student manipulation of letters and
sounds
http://www.synthetic-phonics.com/
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Fluency
 Reading orally with speed, accuracy, prosody
 Guided oral reading and repeated reading support
fluency
 Engaging eBooks = students will want to revisit
 Return easily to text, repeatedly read selections
http://blogs.scholastic.com/3_5/2008/11/fluency-concern.html
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Vocabulary
 Oral and print vocabulary
 Students who read more have larger vocabularies
 eBooks promote oral and visual interaction with text
 Read to Me feature
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Comprehension
 Intentional thinking that
leads to meaning
 Required engagement and
problem solving
 eBooks can ask questions and
give immediate feedback
 eBooks can offer interactive
tools to reinforce
comprehension
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
What can you do?
 Collaborate with teachers
 Become aware of eBook offerings
 Suggest/model ways eBooks can be used
 Evaluate and recommend eBooks
 Implement eBooks in your instruction/story time
 Purchase and use eReading devices
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Interactive eBook Providers
 ABDO Digital
 Big Universe Learning
 Capstone Interactive Library
 Lerner Interactive Books
 Rosen‟s Interactive eBooks
 Rourke Interactive eBooks
 Scholastic‟s Book Flix
 Tumblebook Library
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Studies on eBooks and
Learning
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
What‟s better - eBooks or readaloud by adults?
www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/02/k-12/libraries-still-an-important-discovery-source-for-kids-books-says-study/
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
2004, Jong and Bus study
 Electronic reading produced experiences and effects
similar to adult-read printed books
 Children interacted with animations
 No evidence animations distracted from text or with
understanding
 Children read eBooks multiple times, in order
 Children profited from reading eBooks*
*at least when eBooks are read in context where adults also
read books to children
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
2007, Korat and Shamir
 After working independently with eBook software for
only three session:




Good understanding of story‟s content
Ability to learn meaning of new words which appear in text
eBook or adult read – both scored similarly on tests
No difference in socio-economic status
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Do eBooks improve
comprehension?
wrteacher.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/checking-out-nook-ereaders/
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Grimshaw, et al, 2007
 Comprehension and enjoyment of books by medium


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Medium didn‟t affect enjoyment
No significant difference in comprehension scores
Narration led to higher comprehension scores
Use of online dictionary was greater than print dictionary
 Benefits of reading eBooks:
 Narration, Animated pictures, Sound effects
eBooks that incorporate these features have the capacity to
increase children‟s comprehension and enjoyment of
storybooks
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Can eBooks help struggling
readers?
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Hume - Struggling Readers
Tumblebooks or traditional small-group reading sessions?
The average fluency rate for the Tumblebook group was
23% points higher than that of the control group.
Students using the ebooks had moved from a Lexile level
of K to M.
It took the control group 2 months longer to integrate
back into regular classrooms
Julie Hume, University City, MO found in School Library Journal, June 2011
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Digital Reading Assessment
 American Reading Company‟s Action 100 Software
 Capstone‟s myON reader
 Curriculum Associates‟ i-Ready app
 Lexis Learning‟s Assessment without Testing software
 MindPlay‟s Virtual Reading Coach app
 Read Naturally‟s Reed Live app
 Renaissance Learning‟s Accelerated Reader Software
 Rowland Reading Foundation‟s Super Kids Reading Program
 Scholastic‟s Read 180 Next Gen software
 Scientific Learning‟s Reading Assistant app
Kelly Puente, districtadministration.com, May 2012
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
What will children do with
eReaders?
www.istanz.org.nz/learning/buying-an-ereader-for-your-kid-1/
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Larson, 2010
 Case study of two second-grade students
 Used Kindle devices
 The second graders did the following:
 Adjusted the font size
 Accessed the built-in dictionary to look up meanings of
words and to review the phonetic spelling of words to help
“sound out” text
 Activated the TTS feature to listen to words that they
found difficult or to reread text passages
Lotta C. Larson, The Reading Teacher, 2010
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Can eReaders distract us from
learning?
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Distractions
 Visual/sound effects can interfere
 Irrelevant to the story
 Undermine comprehension
 Negatively affect investigating/understanding story
 More playful approach
De Jong and Bus, 2004
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Cozmo‟s Day Off, iPad app
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Do eReaders cause eye strain?
www.engadget.com/2009/04/13/kindle-2-users-complain-of-eye-strain-mull-over-possible-soluti/
www.realsimple.com/health/preventative-health/does-e-reading-cause-eyestrain-00000000053254/index.html
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Screens and more Screens
 Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
 Eye/vision problems
 Eye strain is a symptom that usually develops from poor
ergonomics, improper work habits, or an undetected visual
condition
 20/20/20
 20 minutes, 20 feet, 20 seconds
Bonilla-Warford, OD, 2010 and Yan, et al 2007
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
E-Ink, LCD, or print?
 Reading on the two displays is similar
 It is not the technology itself, but rather the image
quality that seems crucial for reading. Compared to the
visual display units used in the previous few decades,
these more recent electronic displays allow for good
and comfortable reading, even for extended periods of
time.
Siegenthaler, et al, 2012
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Examples of eReader
Programs
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Cushing Academy, MA – Digital Books
Westlake HS, TX – ipads for upperclass
Clearwater HS, Florida – 2,100 Kindles
Mother of Mercy HS, Cincinnati
Mandated iPad Fall 2012
WSUL Future
& No Shelf
Photos from Boston Globe, St. Petersburg Times,Sue
SLJ,Polanka,
& Not So Distant
blog
Required, September 2012
iPads in the Classroom
 2012 - 1.5 mil iPads in schools
 20K educational apps
 At least one school iPad pilot project in every state
 McAllen (TX) ISD – 6800 devices
 Zeeland (MI) Public Schools – 1800 ipads
 Manhattan Beach (CA) USD – 560 devices
 Mother of Mercy (OH) HS – mandated iPads
 Detroit Lakes (MI) PSD – 244 iPads for 5th graders
www.ipadinschools.com
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
“Next Big Thing” not good enough
 Must BE a reason
 Must impact student learning
 Connect goals to state learning standards
 Make interdisciplinary connections
 Build a strong curriculum connection
 Identify specific student needs that can be met with
eReaders
Carolyn Foote, Westlake High School, TX
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Ereader Adoption in Middle School
 Engage students where reading doesn‟t come easily
 Facilitated discussion
 Aided in individual reading conferences
 Customized the reading experience
 Lessons Learned
 Tentativeness of teachers
 Time management
 Workflow
Jennifer LaGarde and Christine James - Library and 7th grade English
Twitter - @jenniferlagarde, http://www.librarygirl.net/2011/05/rose-by-any-other-name.html
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
High School Lending Program
 Meet the learning and reading styles of all students
 Read in a different container
 Customize the experience
 Provides privacy
 Lessons Learned
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Investigate purchasing options
Try the devices first
Test the wireless/3G connections
Document student responses
Buffy Hamilton – Creekview High School, GA
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Reluctant Readers and Ebooks
 Can the new technology change reading
habits?
 Ereaders enhanced the reading curriculum
 Encourage the use of highlighting to improve
comprehension
 My clippings assisted with comprehension
skills
 Adjustable font sizes and lack of page
numbers less intimidating
Kathleen Parker – Seneca Grade School, 2nd grade reluctant readers
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Digital Textbooks
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Why should we go digital?
 Enhanced content
 Interactive
 Lighter
 Cheaper?
 Soon, our students will be
used to them
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Why should we go digital?
 Enhanced content
 Computer/reader needed
 Interactive
 No sharing/re-selling
 Lighter
 Some rental only
 Cheaper?
 Forget login/password
 Soon, our students will be
used to them
 Bandwidth
 Digital divide
 Accessibility
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Types of Textbooks
 Page-Fidelity
 Reflowable
 Enhanced, Media-Rich, Interactive…
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Digital Textbook rEvolution
 Textbooks cost about $900 per
year ($1300)
 400% increase in digital textbook
sales from „08-‟09
 18% of US textbook market sales
by 2014
 53% cheaper than print (average)
colorhousegraphics.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/textbooks-of-tomorrow-digital-text-books-to-take-off-while-print-dwindles/
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Textbooks Rising 2x Rate of Inflation
www.benzinga.com/10/09/461324/the-unsustainable-college-textbook-bubble
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
2012 Pearson Study
 Tablet ownership has tripled 20112012
 65% - Ereading devices help them in
school
 67% - Ereading devices will replace
printed textbooks in 5 years
 60% college students prefer digital to
paper books
www.pearsonfoundation.org/downloads/PF_Tablet_Survey_Summary_2012.pdf
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
LEAD Commission
 Leading Education by Advancing Digital
 Move all K-12 schools to digital textbooks in 5 years
 Low cost – high quality solutions
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Device
Content
Connectivity
Technical support
 Digital Textbook Playbook
www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/digital-textbook-playbook
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Open Educational Resources
Reuse
Redistribute
Revise
Remix
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Creative Commons Licensing
Creativecommons.org
Sue Polanka,
WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Opportunities and Challenges
 Free
 Easy to update/change
 Customizable
 Localize content
 Different learning styles
 Break into granular pieces
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Opportunities and Challenges
 Free
 Time consuming
 Easy to update/change
 Buy-in
 Customizable
 Requires technology
 Localize content
 Is content quality?
 Different learning styles
 Is content available?
 Break into granular pieces
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
CK-12 Foundation
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Curriki
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Florida Orange Grove
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
K12 Handhelds Ebooks
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Connexions
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Higher Education OERs
 MIT Open CourseWare
 Connexions
 Merlot
 Open Course Library
 OER Commons
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Should we buy digital textbooks?
 Not a library solution
 Not a library expense
 Teachers/Administrators control textbook selection
 School or District-wide discussion
 One size doesn‟t fit all
 Solution must support student learning outcomes
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
But…we can
 Evaluate content
 Recommend sources
 License content
 Host digital content
 Check-out content
 Educate our campuses on available options
 Promote OER‟s and other textbook alternatives
 Demonstrate our value to administrators
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012
Questions?
sue.polanka@
wright.edu
Twitter
@noshelfrequired
noshelfrequired.com
Sue Polanka, WSUL & No Shelf Required, September 2012